Happy Earth month, everyone!
There are many reasons why April is the best month of the year (the weather, my birthday, April Fool’s, my birthday) but one of the greatest parts of April is celebrating our home, planet Earth, and all of the wonderful people working to protect it. Looking back on my last 5 blog posts I realize that I have not celebrated well enough the great things happening in the City of Detroit in regards to the environment, sustainability and environmental justice. So this month I will do my best to make up for it.
It was actually work in sustainable city planning that first drew me to Detroit. Long before I knew Challenge Detroit existed, as I was finishing up my degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I read an article for a class on how Detroit was attempting to mitigate blight and crime by turning low-occupancy blocks into green space that required less policing and other city services and also added value to the community. I was star-struck by the intersection of sustainability and community development and knew that Detroit was a place to keep my eye on. Two years later, I’m living in the city that is rethinking how development, restoration, urban planning and community engage with the environment around them. From incredibly progressive urban farms to citizen-driven, city-wide land use planning, Detroit is more than a place to keep your eye on, it’s a role model for cities all over the world. Here are just a few examples of how Detroit is addressing the question “what if?”:
What if we had urban farms that grew more than just food? That’s what’s happening at the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative in Detroit’s north end. MUFI recently unveiled a project for an innovative homestead on their quickly growing urban farm made from a recycled shipping container. The shipping container home will serve as one of the first opportunities for those interested in sustainable urban agriculture to come live on a farm and learn cutting edge techniques for growing in urban areas. The farm is currently run entirely by volunteers and produced hundreds of pounds of produce last year. Learn more at: www.miufi.org
What if we had a recycling center that did more than just collect waste? Detroit is a little behind when it comes to recycling services run through municipal government. Luckily some concerned citizens decided to do something about it. Originally, Recycle Here was just that: a box with a sign on it that said, “Recycle Here”. As demand grew, so did the receptacle and now Recycle Here occupies a huge warehouse in Woodbridge where residents of Metro Detroit can come to not only sort their recyclables, but enjoy murals painted by local artists, sculptures made from recycled materials, and, occasionally, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra play some wonderful (recycled) music. New ventures include partnerships with local businesses to encourage recycling in the workplace. Check it out here: www.recyclehere.net
What if we had a city plan that not only included blue-green infrastructure, but also operated off of direct input from its citizens? Thanks to Detroit Future City, we do. Detroit Future City is a comprehensive land use and community development plan for the city of Detroit that was created in collaboration between the City, local business and an incredible amount of input from citizens. The Detroit Future City plan includes innovative approaches to design, landscaping, transportation and more for the city of Detroit. And most importantly, it is a plan that is being taken seriously by Detroiters across organizations. Learn more about the plan and its implementation here: www.detroitfuturecity.com .
But this is only just the beginning. What are your favorite environmental projects in the City of Detroit?