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Festival of Ideas - The 51 Mayor of Seattle and Composting

The Festival of Ideas for the New City  is an urban triumph. The mayor of Seattle gave us some tips on composting and David Byrne (who was a delightful surprise for the evening) said that he has a small herb garden. The presentation opening the panel of mayors was of a number of pictures Byrne had shot while bicycling - in his signature manner Mr. Byrne described urban greening, the future of cities and the importance of parking spaces for bikes. The great hall was packed for the event and the crowd was enthralled while each of the four city leaders elaborated on their plans for successful community.

“The overwhelming focus of the evening was this - act transparently, use resources wisely, be available and open, wander your city in search of marginal neighborhoods -  plant gardens and build unique town squares and architecturally innovative structures to displace blight. These initiatives have a positive and measurable results - crime is reduced and most notably murder rates are significantly effected. This is not opinion but fact. Leaders in urban planning using these strategies in areas with horrific violence are having miraculous outcomes.



After the panel while heading to McSorley's for beer we bumped into the 51 mayor of Seattle Greg Nichols - Mr. Nichols divulged the secret of taming fruit flys while composting - that is to place a small bowl of apple cider vinegar and a drop of detergent near the compost bin with a piece of cellophane with a few holes punched in it. The fruit flys go for the cider vinegar and you don't have such a problem after that. He explained during his turn to talk on the panel this was a turning point in his political career as fruit flys and composting had become a sincere issue for the new adopters of composting in Seattle.

Also featured on the panel was Micheal Nutter mayor of Philadelphia and the illustrious Sergio Fajardo a mathematician who transformed Medellin Columbia into one of the safest cities in his country. Both of these leaders are amazing examples of heroic restoration.  I am looking forward to talking more or at least emailing with John Fetterman - the two time mayor of Braddock Penslyvania - who has supported an urban farm in his city. Mr. Fetterman is a giant of a metropolitan  - earns only a  3 figure monthly salary and boasts that most of his city is in a landfill - Braddock also appears in a recent Levis commercial.
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