Podcast: The case for community gardens
Public spaces are needed more than ever in the digital age.
Today I'm publishing the first episode of Neighborhood Matters featuring a guest from my new home in Ambler, Pa.
My guest, Amy Seponara, brings an abundance of attitude to public space advocacy. She recounts the vociferous and at times hilarious opposition she and other advocates encountered in their efforts to build a community garden in a local park. Among other things, some opponents claimed the garden would attract sexual predators.
She also describes some of the cultural, generational and ethnic tensions coloring the disagreement, some of which are unique to Ambler (Italians!) but some of which will be very familiar to Austinites.
Other things discussed:
- My outrage at an Austin city official who thinks libraries are unnecessary.
- How food insecurity & obesity coexist in America (29:30)
- Why schools should teach kids how to cook (32:30)
- The psychological & spiritual benefits of being around plants (44:00)
- AI, social media and the crisis of human connection (56:00)
- The importance of boredom (1:12)
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or below on YouTube!
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