Are there new urban planning proposals for Detroit neighborhoods & downtown Detroit?

**maverick1** · May-06-12, 05:15 PM

Has there been any ideas proposed to city government for the development of specific areas of Detroit neighborhoods or downtown Detroit? I'm thinking within the past 20 years. It seems to me there is a "big chain retail or subdivision housing or nothing" type of mentality. Have land developers and urban planners presented ideas to the last 3 mayors and city councils?

**DetroitPlanner** · May-06-12, 10:03 PM

How about Stadiums? Townhouses? Corktown infill? Riverfront walkways? Bike lanes? Transit Centers? Campus Martius? WSU housing? New hotels, casinos, B&Bs? Expanded DIA, Science, and Charles Wright Museums? Expansion of WSU, CCS, and DMC campuses?

**poobert** · May-07-12, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by maverick1

Has there been any ideas proposed to city government for the development of specific areas of Detroit neighborhoods or downtown Detroit? I'm thinking within the past 20 years. It seems to me there is a "big chain retail or subdivision housing or nothing" type of mentality. Have land developers and urban planners presented ideas to the last 3 mayors and city councils?

There have - most of them have been phony, PR stuff for public consumption, if you're referring to the non-downtown neighborhoods:

Project 14 - to get officers to move into neighborhoods. Dead on arrival. No substance behind it, just a PR stunt by Bing. It could work if it were a real program - there is interest there - but it's not.

Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative - gone due to lack of funding, now. Big promises of neighborhood stabilization to a wide range of neighborhooods [[from Brightmoor to EEV). Not much came out of it.

Detroit Land Bank - ??? You tell me.

I've long discovered that these are just to advance the careers of those in power or create salaries for their friends and family. That gravy train is over though, since there's no more money left to steal.

**poobert** · May-07-12, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Science [[Center)

...

says I need ten characters.

**p69rrh51** · May-07-12, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

There have - most of them have been phony, PR stuff for public consumption, if you're referring to the non-downtown neighborhoods:

Project 14 - to get officers to move into neighborhoods. Dead on arrival. No substance behind it, just a PR stunt by Bing. It could work if it were a real program - there is interest there - but it's not.

Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative - gone due to lack of funding, now. Big promises of neighborhood stabilization to a wide range of neighborhooods [[from Brightmoor to EEV). Not much came out of it.

Detroit Land Bank - ??? You tell me.

I've long discovered that these are just to advance the careers of those in power or create salaries for their friends and family. That gravy train is over though, since there's no more money left to steal.

Poobert you are so right!!

How about Stadiums? Townhouses? Corktown infill? Riverfront walkways? Bike lanes? Transit Centers? Campus Martius? WSU housing? New hotels, casinos, B&Bs? Expanded DIA, Science, and Charles Wright Museums? Expansion of WSU, CCS, and DMC campuses?

Also these are not planning just whimsy to make us think there is an actual plan!

**professorscott** · May-07-12, 02:21 PM

There have been several types of development, scatter-shot, in various parts of the city. Nothing huge but I don't think "huge" is going to save us. The Ren Cen didn't; the casinos didn't; Ford Field is a very nice place to watch a football game but didn't save the City.

What will save the City is for basic conditions to improve enough that dozens, and then hundreds, and perhaps thousands of people can say, "you know what? It would be nice to live closer to Ford Field and the Fox Theater and not have to drive so far all the time".

Now the good news is, as I said, there has been some development: new condos, mostly in midtown but some others, things of that nature. If we focus on "basic conditions", as I said, it will pick up.

"Basic conditions" to me means schools, crime, transportation. You may have others in mind. So we have some positive movement, and still some things to work on.

**ghettopalmetto** · May-07-12, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

How about Stadiums? Townhouses? Corktown infill? Riverfront walkways? Bike lanes? Transit Centers? Campus Martius? WSU housing? New hotels, casinos, B&Bs? Expanded DIA, Science, and Charles Wright Museums? Expansion of WSU, CCS, and DMC campuses?

"Corktown infill" and "bike lanes" seem like the only neighborhood plans among this lot. The rest is just enormous-scale publicly-subsidized Projects with ribbon cuttings and press releases.

I think the premise of the original question [[Please correct me if I'm wrong), is whether or not Detroit has developed any holistic neighborhood-scale plans. You know, like a Main Street plan.

http://www.preservationnation.org/ma...rinciples.html

**mwilbert** · May-07-12, 03:09 PM

It was more than 30 years ago now, but I would say that the Virginia Park redevelopment might be something like what you are thinking of. Although I think it is kind of a waste, maybe the Herman Gardens redevelopment would count.

**Parkguy** · May-07-12, 04:04 PM

There is actually a meeting tonight for Detroit Works, which is a short-term and long-term planning process. This meeting is at the NW Community Center on Meyers from 5:30 to 8:00. There are other meetings scheduled around the city over the next couple of weeks, including three this week. Here's a link: http://detroitworksproject.com/for-d...-action-today/

Meeting schedule: http://detroitworksproject.com/engag...conversations/

**daddeeo** · May-09-12, 08:37 PM

Lip service gets paid to the neighborhoods while downtown has gotten all the attention since the Renaisance Center went up. Ever take a look at a photo book of Detroit?
It's all downtown stuff.
And some wonder why so many are leaving.