90 second BEAT

Sustainable urban architecture goes beyond landscaping in an integrated planning project led by the people. Peek at the future of designing cities for social change.  

At GreenBiz Forum 15, the biggest visionaries and innovators in CSR and sustainability united to share and inspire best practices. Major corporations, nonprofits, and cities co-conspired ways of making the world a more just and healthy place. But it was a South Bronx K-12 teacher and administrator named Stephen Ritz who stole the show with the most sustainable solution of all. His story of community and economic revitalization through a unique model of design + build + transform received a grand standing O.  

In two years, he has reformed one of the poorest congressional districts in the U.S. through urban agriculture and landscaping with his Green Bronx Machine. Forget community engagement, welcome community lead.

A self-proclaimed “people farmer” who believes that people should not have to leave their neighborhood to live, learn, and earn in a better one, he has solved obesity problems, raised the school attendance rate from 40% to 93% with 100% graduation, and transformed a local economy from consumers to producers of food for local businesses. He has empowered students with skills to grow, design, build, and install plants and vegetables for the community as well as green roofs and green walls for corporate clients. At $17/hour, they are making the equivalent salary of many new college grads doing CAD work. 

But something bigger started happening. His kids, most of whom are at-risk, foster, or homeless, started donating to orphanages and charities around the world. 

Let's hope these kids continue setting new standards for the nextgen of doers making a difference in the world.