A Community-Centered Digital Monitoring System
The Joe Louis Greenway provides safe, recreational green spaces throughout the city. Here, a playground and covered seating area near the Midwest-Tireman section of the greenway draws neighborhood residents, children and visitors. Photo credit: A. Griego, SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic.
Project Dates: January 2024 –April 2025
Client: City of Detroit Office of Sustainability - Joe Louis Greenway Project
SEAS Faculty Advisor: Derek VanBerkel, Assistant Professor of Geospatial Data Sciences, Conservation & Restoration
SEAS Students: Yidan Chang (Geospatial Data Sciences), Gail Lyons (Environmental Justice), Saj McBurrows (Environmental Policy & Planning), Chi Sun (Geospatial Data Sciences), Shiru Xu (MLA), Jing Yan (MLA, Geospatial Data Sciences)
About the Client
The Joe Louis Greenway (JLG) is a 27.5-mile recreational greenway that connects parks and neighborhoods across the city. The greenway aims to provide a safe, car-free passage from the riverfront to the McNichols neighborhood via pedestrian paths, protected bikeways, and existing trails, such as the DeQuindre Cut. According to the city of Detroit’s website, this project aims to honor Joe Louis by creating equitable spaces through the arts, programming, and economic opportunities for all.
About the Project
This Master’s Project centers on the ongoing development of the Greenway. Recognizing that urban greening initiatives have historically contributed to gentrification, the project's primary objective is to address a critical question: How can equitable outcomes in multimodal urban trails and greenway projects be most effectively measured, both during their implementation phase and upon completion? The study encompassed a comprehensive examination of metrics related to equitable access across various dimensions, including transportation, recreational opportunities, public health, adaptive reuse, ecosystem services, and community engagement, within the context of urban greenway planning.
The project team used a multi-method approach, combining digital monitoring, community engagement, and design strategies. The team conducted community surveys, including intercept interviews and a community-wide survey, to assess public perceptions and demographics. Through landscape design, the team explored climate-responsive design strategies to optimize the greenway's resilience and usability. The project team's findings enabled them to develop a GIS platform that visualizes data, facilitates real-time community engagement, and promotes transparency in the project's impact assessment.
Their in-depth research assessed potential equity-related consequences to the Greenway's development. It provided JLG with evidence-based recommendations to proactively address and mitigate them for the benefit of the Detroit community. Their work aims to broaden knowledge on the potential impacts of green initiatives and enhance accessibility to JLG while also creating a replicable framework for evaluating similar projects, ultimately promoting equitable urban development and long-term community benefits.
Read the final report here.