Do something: Lessons on pragmatic urbanism and cultivating hope from post-disaster New Orleans Book review

First paragraph: Gardens of Hope provides both an inspiring and cautionary tale of hope and burnout among urban cultivators in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city (and region) in August 2005. Kato’s project spans from 2005 to 2023 and encompasses in-depth interviews with the growers who came and went during the eras of post-disaster recovery, transition, and redevelopment. Readers learn about the moti­vations, challenges, possibilities, successes, and downfalls of those who were growing in a crisis. The tension between hope and despair has undoubtedly gripped the public mind in today’s current political, economic, and environmental climate. At a very timely moment, Kato gives readers a window into the experiences of growers who tried to enact the world they wanted but that did not yet exist. . . .