Upcoming study of food deserts in Milwaukee

Here's an upcoming study on food deserts in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit - hey, how did UW-Madison land this, and not UWM?

Segregation in Milwaukee

Is Milwaukee the most segregated city in the US? One recent study using the dissimilarity index found that it is, according to this Salon article.

But note that the dissimilarity index is not the only measure of segregation, and it has its critics. To learn a little about some of these critics - and to find many more useful links - check out this recent Politifact Wisconsin article.

UWM wetland grant

Here's a good video about a grant to restore a wetlands site along the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee - the work of UWM Freshwater Sciences grad students.

Spatial justice: the non-profit

Here's a link to a non-profit organization in Seattle (I think) "whose mission is to assist other non-profits, community groups and NGO’s in utilizing data mapping, GIS, GPS, and spatial analysis to describe, measure and analyze issues of possible spatial inequality and injustice."

For students interested in using GIS to address justice issues (whether for a class project or beyond), this may be a useful site. If you're in Geography 564, you should take a look at the organization's approach to conceptualizing "spatial justice," here in the Toolbox section. I'm pretty sure that this is "early" David Harvey they are quoting here... They also quote geographer David Smith, whose book Geography and Social Justice is essential reading for graduate students interested in the topic.

What does "local" mean?

Recently in Geography 564 we discussed Born and Purcell's "avoiding the local trap", which discusses the recent glorification of "local" food and agriculture as more sustainable, more just, and well, just plain better. This isn't just an academic argument, as this recent news article makes clear. (If the link doesn't work, try googling Jalonick and local - the author's name is Mary Clare Jalonick.

If you're interested in reading more critiques of the "local," here are some other links for you to check out:

- Here's a blog post that also contains the text of a 2010 New York times article.
- And here's a description of a 2008 academic article on buying local.

Political change in Milwaukee County

Here's a fascinating map showing political change in Milwaukee County since 1966 (and here's an accompanying table).