Detroit Works Project Official Thread

**rbdetsport** · December-09-10, 02:06 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/2010120...-in-core-areas

It sounds like things are moving forward. The project is a very interesting strategy. I can only hope it works and improves the area with a lasting impact.

Where do you guys think the core areas will be?

**Carey** · December-09-10, 03:49 PM

It's still so vague, I don't know how to judge it. Bing and Dumas acknowledge they won't have much to lure people out of disadvantaged neighborhoods other than the promise of better services in their new neighborhoods. Mayors have been promising better services for a long time, but services never -- or rarely -- improve. I agree the strategy is very interesting, and I also wish them the best. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of faith that Detroit city government is going to devise and execute such an immensely complicated and even revolutionary plan. But I'm trying to keep an open mind. Communism fell and the Book Cadillac came back to life. Anything can happen.

**Hypestyles** · December-09-10, 04:13 PM

...with all the pollution problems in the southwest city limits are with all those refineries and such in the immediate area, I wonder if that will be designated as a district to try and get people to move from.. If the longshot happens and the DRIC gets passed, what would be the likely environmental impact on that area?

**Fnemecek** · December-09-10, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by rbdetsport

Where do you guys think the core areas will be?

Hopefully not my neighborhood. I have enough problems to deal with already.

**hybridy** · December-09-10, 05:02 PM

Core Areas [[personal preference):

1-University Commons
2-Grandmont Rosedale
3-Central Woodward/New Center
4-Midtown
5-Corktown/Woodbridge
6-Downtown/Eastern Market
7-Riverfront
8-Mexicantown
9-Jefferson East

It's mostly an upsidedown diagonal T-shape anchored by the river and woodward and an additional north leg headed west

**iheartthed** · December-09-10, 05:25 PM

I must be experiencing déjà vu. Let's see, where have I heard this before?

It’s on the road to revitalization. Downtown
is a neighborhood. The only way it
works is that people live down there. We
have a ten-area core neighborhood development
plan for the traditional neighborhoods
in the city. We’ve already given that to Planning
and Development to overlay on their
clusters of development and to coordinate
with schools and other entities on how we
can develop each neighborhood

-Kwame M. Kilpatrick, 72nd mayor of Detroit

http://www.michbar.org/journal/pdf/pdf4article400.pdf

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 05:43 PM

I truly haven't thought it out very far...but have always thought that simply charting where the firehouses and police stations already ARE, coupled with nearby main-spoke bus lines [[and hopefully intersecting cross-towns too, although I wouldn't MIND having everyone having to do a downtown transfer, since it could really give that area a boost and make the Rosa Parks Transit Center have greater value)...and existing schools and hospitals.

THEN, see what neighborhoods are close by and insure the ones that are functioning remain in the mix...because it would be wasteful to move entire 'hoods if they don't fit that criteria.

I would also like to chart the AGE of the infrastructure...because a great deal of this concerns having reliable water, sewage, power, and roads/bridges.

Then, perhaps, access to highways and larger transportation, like the railroad station and City Airport.

I'll have to put some synapse crunch-time on this...it has been a pet project of MINE for many, many years. It merely seems logical.

The real way to provide incentive is to create a citywide Credit Union system that also is large enough to underwrite insurance policies for home, business, and ESPECIALLY cars. At that point, the incentive would be enjoying the guaranteed lowest insurance anywhere, because you just KNOW the standard insurance companies will take their sweet time even NOTICING this is happening.

Histeric and I mused last year that one solution might be to approach Lloyds of London to create a special policy...at least to see if THAT might be a solution. He knows someone who has experience with that.

THEN, the open land should be available for experimental housing and sustainable living...and extensive PERSONAL small-scale non-corporate urban agriculture...so communities like Mark Covington's Georgia Street Community Collective can be...well...seeded. Sorry, couldn't avoid that one.

The experimental housing initiative and other sustainable living pioneers include Greening of Detroit, Earthworks, Gregg and Angela over at Evolution Detroit, Kate/Tuka at the Spirit Farms...Jason Dibble up in the Woodard/Seven Mile area...the list can quickly grow. I know there are dozens that I don't have specifics on.

More to come, if the synapses don't rebel.

Cheers

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 05:47 PM

Same Credit Union system can provide economic assistance/training and loans to businesses and even residential mortgages, if they are funded well enough.

Bus lines could have FREE transfers if people head downtown and switch at Rosa Parks, and for a fee if they take the cross-town shortcuts.

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 05:51 PM

Oh yeah...and the potential FRICTION must be charted as well...the things that are extraordinarily DIFFICULT or impossible to move.

It is relatively easy to move a bank or even a grocery store...very tough to move a large retirement home or hospital.

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 05:53 PM

Also, impossible to move historic places, unless you're Greenfield Village/Henry Ford!

Libraries, too. Universities. Some larger churches. Cemeteries. You get what I mean.

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 05:55 PM

And we cannot isolate our nested neighbors, Hamtramck and Highland Park. They deserve to be as much a part of this as the next guy.

Plus, access to inner-ring suburbs for access to extra-city employment, too.

**showstoppa** · December-09-10, 05:59 PM

the one thing that concerns me about this plan, is what is the city council's role going to be ? we know they are going to raise a lot of hell on this !

Other than that I don't disagree with what Bing is trying to do !

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 06:06 PM

Council-by-District is the future of Detroit.

Who really cares what the current folks have to say? They are stuck in the old paradigm and will fight to the death to hold onto their power and high paying easy jobs and free vehicles and deep pockets for their family and friends.

**Gannon** · December-09-10, 06:20 PM

Back to free-thinking on this...

I'd love to do a statistical analysis of police and fire department runs...to identify trouble spots...and duration/distance from the stations. Those areas far away and of greatest trouble would be gray areas...easily allowed to go 'fallow'.

A fellow named Chuck Wilson spoke at the first Charter Commission public meetup in early November...and spoke on the troubles plaguing the departments. He is a rare individual...having been BOTH Police and Fire Chief during his varied career.

He spoke of the statistical response times and how they affect performance...and also why we need a position of Emergency Manager to co-ordinate services between the Police, Fire, Water/Power, 911 operations.

But when he got to infrastructure...he admitted THAT is a huge problem in the city.

We agreed that using the local urban gardeners to use and obviously test the water system would be a unique way to have many eyes on the fire plugs. He also talked of authorized and controlled opening of fire plugs during the summertime, since it is obvious the citizens do it anyways.

I really liked this man, he was as progressive as Dan Carmody down at Eastern Market...surprisingly open to fresh and far-out ideas. He wasn't an immediate NO on everything, and it was very clear he performed 'blue-sky' dreaming on a regular basis with his solution seeking.

I believe he teaches at Marygrove College now. If I were mayor, I'd do whatever it took to get this guy back on the city payroll. Forever.

Cheers

**Fnemecek** · December-09-10, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

Core Areas [[personal preference):

1-University Commons
2-Grandmont Rosedale
3-Central Woodward/New Center
4-Midtown
5-Corktown/Woodbridge
6-Downtown/Eastern Market
7-Riverfront
8-Mexicantown
9-Jefferson East

It's mostly an upsidedown diagonal T-shape anchored by the river and woodward and an additional north leg headed west

I love this list.

**majohnson** · December-10-10, 01:00 AM

City of Detroit's Neighborhood Stabilization Plan from CoD's Planning Department:
1. Brightmoor
2. Herman Gardens
3. Grand River/ Greenfield
4. Southwest
5. North End
6. North Central
7. Kettering
8. Osborn
9. Far East/ East English Village

map at:
http://www.detroitmi.gov/Departments...rgetAreas.aspx

notice the NSP corresponds to previously released home demolition plans

**Fnemecek** · December-10-10, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by majohnson

City of Detroit's Neighborhood Stabilization Plan from CoD's Planning Department:
1. Brightmoor
2. Herman Gardens
3. Grand River/ Greenfield
4. Southwest
5. North End
6. North Central
7. Kettering
8. Osborn
9. Far East/ East English Village

Oh, dear God! Please let them take "Herman Gardens" [[a/k/a - most of Warrendale) off that list.

If folks in the other neighborhoods are okay with being screwed over by Mayor Bing, that's their problem.

I live smack dab in the middle of that area and have enough problems to deal with as it is.

**Detroitnerd** · December-10-10, 10:42 AM

I wish they had some plan for the Detroit neighborhoods north of Hamtramck. Of course, that would mean working together with Hamtramck, so ... nix on that.

**Gannon** · December-10-10, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by majohnson

City of Detroit's Neighborhood Stabilization Plan from CoD's Planning Department:
1. Brightmoor
2. Herman Gardens
3. Grand River/ Greenfield
4. Southwest
5. North End
6. North Central
7. Kettering
8. Osborn
9. Far East/ East English Village

map at:
http://www.detroitmi.gov/Departments...rgetAreas.aspx

notice the NSP corresponds to previously released home demolition plans

Thanks for that link, MAJ.

**Gsgeorge** · December-10-10, 10:57 AM

It's still so vague.

It is vague because there have only been a few community meetings about it, and this is a sign that the Detroit Works Project will come from the ideas of its citizens. There are 40 meetings over the coming months. If the DWP works out like people are hoping, the people will have a say, a common strategy will emerge, and the city will fare well. Regional cooperation and respect are necessary, but there will be tough decisions. Detroit will emerge a shrunken city, maybe, but also a vastly more mature, proud, and forward-thinking International Metropolis.

**Gsgeorge** · December-10-10, 11:17 AM

it is happening...

With little hope for improvement, Anthony said she is putting her faith in Mayor Dave Bing's plan to encourage residents in neighborhoods like hers to move to more populated areas, where services will be more plentiful. "I don't see another way," she said.

Read more: Getting Detroiters on board with neighborhood consolidation a challenge | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/2010120...#ixzz17j5N0O7n

**Fnemecek** · December-10-10, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

It is vague because there have only been a few community meetings about it, and this is a sign that the Detroit Works Project will come from the ideas of its citizens.

I was at 3 of the community meetings that Mayor Bing had earlier this year. I didn't hear a single person outside of the Administration advocate in favor moving people from neighborhood to another.

How can anyone say that the Detroit Works Project comes from the ideas of the community?

**Detroitnerd** · December-10-10, 11:32 AM

It just sounds like the same old story: The city keeping people in the dark about its plans while taking steps to evict them.

**Gannon** · December-10-10, 11:40 AM

I believe they are trying to avoid exactly that, D'nerd.

Outsiders are involved in this, and that raises the level of reaction with many...which appears, at least initially, as knee-jerk.

F,
Many understand the backlash of suggesting such a thing, especially when it comes to moving Grandma Millie out of her lifetime home. It is not only a landmine, it is a mine-field...any step could be your last.

It is brave enough that Mayor Bing dares even consider such.

Many admit that is the only way this city can survive, let alone thrive.

No jive!

Cheers

**majohnson** · December-10-10, 11:57 AM

Having studied public administration and from my interactions with public administration professionals I have to say the meetings can only sway technical decisions so much.

There is some room for change on the large scale plans but the majority of the composite decision has already been decided based on years of technical and political work.

That NSP map has been around for years.
The truth is democratic based [[mob) decisions are only useful for some types of decision making.
Should city X participate in Woodward light rail? vote on it
Should city X use rail line that does not harmonize with the rest of the Woodward light rail and thus make travel through the city impossible without switching to a special train and back again on the other side of the city? technical decision, no vote