Prioritizing Vacant Properties for Green Infrastructure: A Landscape Analysis in Spatial Planning, and Design Approach for Siting Green Infrastructure in Moderately to Highly Vacant Urban Neighborhoods

Abstract

This project focuses on the spatial planning, analysis, and design of a green infrastructure (GI) strategy for the Cody Rouge neighborhood in western Detroit. The Cody Rouge neighborhood is an ideal setting for this work because, like most neighborhoods in the city, it has experienced dramatic landscape change over the last sixty years as it has grappled with issues of blight, poverty, and vacancy. Specifically, the prevalence of vacant lots and abandoned properties, which cover approximately 25% of the landscape, contribute to neighborhood instability while creating a disconnected network of unused open space. Numerous studies that have examined future planning scenarios for “shrinking cities” have adopted GI for its multifunctional potential as a method for not only addressing blight caused by vacancy and abandonment but also as a long-term strategy for promoting urban ecology by enhancing ecosystem services and having a positive effect on human health and well-being. Through the development of spatial models that synthesize opportunities for stormwater management and vacant lot feasibility, green infrastructure prioritization and design strategies are recommended for the Cody Rouge Neighborhood. This project aims to provide a neighborhood planning approach that integrates ongoing efforts for citywide greening, compliance for water management, and vacant land stabilization. Additionally, through an overview of topics related to green infrastructure, landscape planning, spatial modeling, urban ecology, and cultural landscape values, the transdisciplinary nature of this work is emphasized and an accessible, legible, and welldocumented strategy for landscape modeling and green infrastructure site prioritization is provided for the Cody Rouge Neighborhood.