Equity-Centered Planning for Neighborhood Park Transformation

CM credit hours for mobile workshops are awarded based on the planned dedicated instructional time. Adjustments to CM hours will not be made after the live event.

After years of economic decline, disinvestment and vacancy, the City developed a multi-faceted equity tool to focus limited park resources to neighborhoods where they can make the greatest difference. We will visit three neighborhood parks that showcase these processes.

Stops will include Pattengill Park, where a park was relocated from a challenging site, surrounded by industrial to the heart of the neighborhood using an abandoned elementary school site.

Next is Scripps Park, a historic park that was largely unused by neighborhood residents because of unhoused people living in the park. Through extensive engagement with the Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corp, a collaborative design process transformed the park into one that welcomes families and dog-owners, all while respecting the unhoused population, creating a space that is comfortable for all.

And the last stop is Clark Park, where the Clark Park Coalition stepped in to steward the park when the City was in economic decline. And where now, with a combination of this dedicated community group, City resources and philanthropic funding the park has been transformed from a place of neglect and crime into one of the most well-used and loved parks in the City.Detroit's Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan developed an equity metric to identify historically disadvantaged populations and areas with poor health and environmental trends-to determine where need is greatest and prioritize park resources. Renovations involve collaborative design and participatory budgeting, so parks address the needs of the people they serve.