Students on the Clinic Master’s Project team with Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) pose outside the CCSS headquarters in Detroit. The students presented their project findings to CCSS leadership in April 2024, and also received Clinic t-shirts. Photo credit: V. Wilkinson, SEAS.
Project Dates: January 2023 – April 2024
Client: Cass Community Social Services
SEAS Faculty Advisor: Lisa DuRussel, Assistant Professor of Practice, Landscape Architecture
SEAS Students: Kyle Anderson (Sustainability & Development), Walid Bamehriz (Sustainable Systems), Michael Grady (MLA), Nana Temple (MLA), Taylor Valentine (Sustainability & Development), Parker Wise (Environmental Justice; Sustainability & Development)
About the Client
Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) is a Detroit-based nonprofit organization that provides food, housing, mental health services, and job opportunities in areas of Detroit with high concentrations of poverty. CCSS’s extensive community services include preparing and serving 700,000 locally sourced meals per year to unhoused individuals or those experiencing economic hardship; offering warming centers, emergency shelters, and permanent supportive housing; and creating job opportunities in sustainability through their Green Industries program.
CCSS also operates a free medical clinic and runs a daytime activity center for adults with developmental disabilities. One recent priority for CCSS has been to create an affordable “tiny homes” neighborhood on Detroit’s northwest side. CCSS aims to provide accessible housing and generational wealth-building opportunities to residents with limited housing resources and low incomes, while transforming the city’s vacant land for the enhanced benefit of the public.
About the Project
CCSS sought assistance from SEAS in establishing a vision and strategic plan for the sustainable redevelopment of the Dexter-Linwood Westside neighborhood, while expanding its role as a trusted anchor in the community. DuRussel and her student project team developed a comprehensive Sustainability Roadmap, consisting of interconnected themes that include economic development, community health, clean energy, ecological restoration, community vitality, and strong partnerships. These themes, inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, include targeted strategies to advance CCSS’s mission and deepen its neighborhood impact.
To create this resource, the team conducted site visits, case studies, and community interviews, while researching best practices and implementation strategies. The final deliverables include a sustainable development plan, a community master plan, and a participatory engagement toolkit. Each theme in the roadmap outlines actionable goals and includes funding strategies, design renderings, partnership opportunities, and recommendations for ongoing community engagement. Together, these tools provide CCSS with a portfolio of projects and a clear path for sustainably growing its impact and services within the neighborhood.
Read the final report here.
"Climate and sustainability issues can feel incredibly vast, so being able to zoom in on a local Detroit community and get a sense of what folks are facing is very rewarding and helps ground you in the work you’re doing." - Taylor Valentine, MS '24, Visioning Cass Clinic Master's Project