OWNING THE ISLAND: COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPING FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN THE CITY

ABSTRACT

Research on community land trusts (CLTs) is growing, but there is still very little consensus on whether CLTs can be leveraged in cities to realize justice. CLTs are nonprofit organizations that own land and make decisions on how to use that land through democratic processes. This collaborative research project seeks to gauge the interest in such a land ownership model within the Island neighborhood of East Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Using qualitative methods, our research team will work to understand community perspectives on the future development of the neighborhood, its food system, and people’s views on collective land ownership and stewardship.