This master’s project focuses on the planning, analysis, and
design of contextually informed green infrastructure strategies
for adaptive stormwater management in Detroit. The
city has observed significant population loss over the last half
century, which puts a strain on the tax base required for the upkeep
of stormwater and other key infrastructure services. Aging
combined sewer systems in need of maintenance combined with
increases in the frequency of extreme storm events related to climate
change create a scenario in which finding an adaptive solution
to stormwater management is becoming progressively more
important.
The Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood is located in Detroit’s
Lower Eastside and serves as the central study area for this
project. The study aims to develop a suite of planning and design
concepts for a network of site-based green infrastructure strategies
for stormwater management that take advantage of Detroit’s
vacant land. Our approach is to create a networked system of a
diverse array of green infrastructure stormwater controls. Stormwater
management strategies are informed by the surrounding
landscape context and respond to site-based opportunities and
limitations. Primary research methods include GIS-based hydrologic
modeling and studies of Detroit’s combined sewer infrastructure,
vacancy data, innovative green infrastructure strategies,
and community stabilization plans. A small set of design
concepts specific to the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood were
also developed to illustrate actionable stormwater management
strategies.