Nice paper! I didn't watch the video, though... I used to love watching TED Talks, but have been avoiding them lately. (I think, probably, maybe, because of a Hubski post ;p) Anyway, I've always had an interest in permaculture and love the zoning idea for cities; it just makes sense to me. Especially when I think about cities like Detroit -- imagine taking all those empty buildings and returning them to farmland. Blocks and blocks (you'd have to clear away a lot of stuff, of course) Lot of possibilities, imo, especially since nobody seems to want anything to do with it (haven't checked up on it in a bit, so I'm only assuming) Or, honestly, it could easily be scaled down to Town-size; most rural folks (like myself) I know already grow their own foodstuffs; permaculture right up to the town limits and even spilling over into parks. It's a lovely idea and I applaud you for writing about it - gets me motivated and helps idea spin. I'd love to hear more ideas and see more plans! -hats