Austainability experts from around the country joined with local architects, planners and other interested parties in Midtown Detroit
for an SDAT, or Sustainable Design Assessment Team, charette, recently.
Given estimates that Detroit will continue to shrink -- down to about 500,000 or 600,000
residents by 2025, they looked at what to do with 88 square miles of land that is essentially excess.
The group looked at developing the core 50 square miles of livable space developed as a series of densely populated urban villages -- looking specifically at Southwest Detroit, Corktown, Downtown, Eastern Market, Woodbridge, Midtown and New Center -- each with housing, recreation, entertainment and work opportunities, and
each linked to each other and the main urban core.
From
this base, SDAT worked at making policy and design recommendations in
five areas, all of which intersect and feed into the urban
villages concept: community development, transportation and
transit, open space, economic development and local food systems and
community gardens.
Some points
of note: Many ideas centered on one of the city's greatest assets, the
Detroit River -- for example, "blueways" were discussed as a mode of
transportation; the importance of incorporating wind turbines into
Detroit's energy system was stressed; Eastern Market was lauded as "the
best farmers market in the country" by Edwin Marty, the executive
director of Jones Valley Urban Farm in Alabama; reduction of energy
costs for individuals was stressed as a method of creating wealth; and
local food production within each urban village node was recommended.
A strategy was developed for
the creation of 75,000 jobs over 10 years by leveraging new green industries
as well as existing employment leaders like health care.
Next
step: implementation. Local SDAT leaders will begin working with
organizations and institutions to move its strategies forward. Funding
from Kresge Foundation has been secured to undergo this process, and State of Michigan Energy Department funds will be used to conduct energy audits and technical assistance.
For more information, check out Zachary and Associate's web site or contact Zachary at 313-831-6100 or WARM Training Center at 313-894-1030.
Source: Diane VanBuren Jones, WARM
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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