Urban Prairie or Urban Blight ?

**boulevard_nights** · October-02-09, 08:58 AM

Perhaps some of the buildings and houses are kinda hard to love, but I would rather see the urban blight of abandoned buildings and houses than the pseudo improvement and political spin of urban 'prairies'.

Am I the only one?

I would rather keep the history of Detroit's buildings, even if they are abandoned and neglected.

Does anyone here feel the same sense of loss over some of Detroit's demolitions?

Lorax · October-02-09, 09:06 AM

I would agree if it were buildings downtown or quality brick residences such as in Brush Park, but the wooden buildings which represent early 20th century urban sprawl, mostly houses and some old factories, then I think prairies are perferable.

**gazhekwe** · October-02-09, 09:51 AM

If we are converting to a smaller footprint, give me the prairies. OR, open the abandoned stock to homesteaders. You get it, but you have to make it liveable and live in it yourself for five years, then you get it free. Same principle could be applied to the empty lands, which still have access to city water and sewer, and the gas and lights. From a city lot to a block, homestead it, build your house, business or farm, prove it liveable and profitable in five years and its yours, free. No taxes for the five year period on either proposition.

**RickBeall** · October-02-09, 11:13 AM

If you are talking about the thousands of wooden frame house in Detroit, they will fall down all by themselves. It only takes about 30 years for an unmaintained building to be totally ruined. You have to consider that when the building was abandoned the roof was probably already in need of repair, so it will start leaking right away. If the house is going to rot anyway, it seems better to try to make something positive, that might actually attract people, something like planned parks or prairie with trees planted, or exposing old creeks. Not everything is worthy of being saved.

**DetroitZack** · October-02-09, 02:36 PM

I agree 100%, I would much rather see it sit there abandoned then get demolished.

**ggores** · October-02-09, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by boulevard_nights

Does anyone here feel the same sense of loss over some of Detroit's demolitions?

Last weekend, I was walking around and saw a dead chipmunk on the sidewalk, its hind legs were severed. The freshly cut grass was the only clue I needed to quickly deduce that the critter had suffered some lawn mower related misfortune earlier that same day. To noone, I said "awwwwwww", and kept on strollin'. Way I see it, Detroit = that poor little chipmunk.

But I will say this: That Lyndon Walkway project [[or whatever exactly its called), over in that neighborhood, is certainly impressive. Well, at least the signs posted are impressive, there are bright flowers planted around them. But beyond those signs, as far as can be seen, nothing can be seen except g-h-e-double tee-o. No prairie, no blight.

**sirrealone** · October-02-09, 02:57 PM

I disagree. If I see an empty piece of property, that gives hope for something that can be in the future. A structure that's falling apart is just a sad reminder of what once was. Why not look to hope for the future instead of over our shoulders for something that no longer exists?

**vetalalumni** · October-02-09, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by ggores

...

But I will say this: That Lyndon Walkway project [[or whatever exactly its called), over in that neighborhood, is certainly impressive. Well, at least the signs posted are impressive, there are bright flowers planted around them. But beyond those signs, as far as can be seen, nothing can be seen except g-h-e-double tee-o. No prairie, no blight.

Just curious - what is the "Lyndon Walkway" project?

**Detroitej72** · October-02-09, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by gazhekwe

If we are converting to a smaller footprint, give me the prairies. OR, open the abandoned stock to homesteaders. You get it, but you have to make it liveable and live in it yourself for five years, then you get it free. Same principle could be applied to the empty lands, which still have access to city water and sewer, and the gas and lights. From a city lot to a block, homestead it, build your house, business or farm, prove it liveable and profitable in five years and its yours, free. No taxes for the five year period on either proposition.

I second this proposal!

**mam2009** · October-03-09, 10:15 AM

Abandoned homes & buildings are magnets for criminal behavior! I talk to people everyday who are frightened because drug users and prostitutes use them for their "activities". They are attractive to arsonists...You must not know what it feels like to be sitting in your home next to a vacant builidng hearing people going in and out of the house next door to you all day and all night not knowing their intentions for that building or your home for that matter! Elderly citizens and citizens with children are afraid to sit outside or let their children play outside because of the element that is attracted to these buildings. Children walk past these buildings to get to school. People wait at bus stops near these things. Not to mention the fact that they are also havens for rats, rodents, stray dogs and cats, etc. You've got to be joking [[or naive or a non-Detroiter or delusional) if you have some sort of romantic notion about the value of abandoned, rotting buildings.

**Bobl** · October-03-09, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by mam2009

Abandoned homes & buildings are magnets for criminal behavior! I talk to people everyday who are frightened because drug users and prostitutes use them for their "activities". They are attractive to arsonists...You must not know what it feels like to be sitting in your home next to a vacant builidng hearing people going in and out of the house next door to you all day and all night not knowing their intentions for that building or your home for that matter! Elderly citizens and citizens with children are afraid to sit outside or let their children play outside because of the element that is attracted to these buildings. Children walk past these buildings to get to school. People wait at bus stops near these things. Not to mention the fact that they are also havens for rats, rodents, stray dogs and cats, etc. You've got to be joking [[or naive or a non-Detroiter or delusional) if you have some sort of romantic notion about the value of abandoned, rotting buildings.

I agree. It is a security problem. Who would wish to live next door to a crumbling hulk occupied by crack smokers and prostitutes?
Sad, but necessary, to tear them down. Replace them with native vegetation.

**tahleel** · October-03-09, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by mam2009

Abandoned homes & buildings are magnets for criminal behavior! I talk to people everyday who are frightened because drug users and prostitutes use them for their "activities". They are attractive to arsonists...You must not know what it feels like to be sitting in your home next to a vacant builidng hearing people going in and out of the house next door to you all day and all night not knowing their intentions for that building or your home for that matter! Elderly citizens and citizens with children are afraid to sit outside or let their children play outside because of the element that is attracted to these buildings. Children walk past these buildings to get to school. People wait at bus stops near these things. Not to mention the fact that they are also havens for rats, rodents, stray dogs and cats, etc. You've got to be joking [[or naive or a non-Detroiter or delusional) if you have some sort of romantic notion about the value of abandoned, rotting buildings.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

-Tahleel

**ggores** · October-03-09, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by vetalalumni

Just curious - what is the "Lyndon Walkway" project?

Between Evergreen, all the way down to... DaCosta, or Bramell, I think. Go check it out. Stay a while and chuck your shoes off. It's really neat.

The Lyndon Walkway, I think [[again!) is done by the Inner City Blight Busters. For more information, check out the Firehouses thread on this website.

Back to the lab...... and God Bless those Detroit Firefighters, by the way. Really. Those cats are alright!

Bullet · October-04-09, 10:29 AM

**skyl4rk** · October-04-09, 11:14 AM

If I were the one responsible for urban prairie land in Dt., I would till it and plant alfalfa, then harvest the hay a couple of times a year. If they are paying to mow it, it wouldn't take much more to bale it too.

It wouldn't make money to grow hay if you have to pay city taxes on the lots, but the Land Bank or City could make some decent coin since they are tax exempt.

**DetroitPlanner** · October-04-09, 11:18 AM

Love the cops driving though the red light while ignoring the encampment of nar-do-wells.

**RickBeall** · October-04-09, 02:55 PM

In the 2nd picture, the house is amazingly intact for being so rickety. I bet that house is very old.

Concerning the blight or prarie question, the houses are going to fall down. You can do it in a controlled way, or random. Better to do it in a controlled way, like a controlled burn.

Some of the pictures are almost quaint, like they were taken in the country down south.

**mam2009** · October-05-09, 12:15 AM

There is nothing "quaint" about property owners not maintaining their property for whatever reason...apathy, greed, disgust, lack of resources, declining health, etc. Sorry if I sound like a sour puss.

**boulevard_nights** · October-05-09, 02:14 AM

My concern is that "urban prairie" is the political spin of politicians trying to 'beautify' a problem.

If the prairie is neglected, overgrown and unkempt [[just like the old houses are, due to attitudes) then the prairie could easily degenerate from urban prairie to urban dumpster.

Also, I'm not just referring to decrepit old houses in Detroit. Last time I looked, this website documents the "fabulous ruins of Detroit".

**gazhekwe** · October-05-09, 08:01 AM

Lyndon Walkway sounds like a neat idea. When I was little, I lived on Lyndon one house from the corner of DaCosta, next to a vacant lot. Back then, those little cement block houses going east from Lahser/Outer Drive were all painted in pastel colors. There weren't any vacant lots there then. The houses were pink, aqua, pale green and yellow, so pretty. Most had beautiful flowers in front. I called them Easter egg houses and wanted to live in one. I always wondered what the story was behind those houses. Now they don't look so good, nor does my old house and lots of others, which used to all be well maintained. Of course they were much newer then. I hope the walkway gives some incentive to fix things up.