Last updated: October 2024
The PARK(ing) project, completed in April 2022, is an urban private intervention in Core City neighborhood in Detroit, that re-imagines a vacant 24,000-square-foot lot into a dual-purpose public park and a 28-car parking lot. Designed by Julie Bargmann of D.I.R.T. Studio, in collaboration with Prince Concepts and in-house landscape designer Andrew Schwartz, this innovative green space harmonizes urban infrastructure with natural elements. The site is punctuated with 78 newly planted trees, including sumac, maple, and evergreen species, creating an environment rich in vegetation that seamlessly integrates with its urban surroundings. The design incorporates permeable pavers and sloped berms, which effectively manage storm-water by absorbing and channeling rainwater, mitigating the risk of flooding—an often-overlooked challenge in traditional parking lots. This approach reflects sensitivity to the local environment and a commitment to sustainable urban design. By day, the park discreetly functions as a parking facility, with cars nestled among dense greenery, while by evening, it transforms into a public garden, extending the communal space of Core City Park. This dual functionality addresses the needs of a car-dependent community while promoting walkability and enhancing the neighborhood's ecological footprint. PARK(ing) exemplifies a shift in Detroit's urban planning, moving away from the car-centric developments of the past toward a more balanced relationship between people, nature, and infrastructure. The project stands as a testament to the evolving identity of American cities, particularly those like Detroit, historically shaped by the automobile. It offers a vision of urban spaces that prioritize community well-being and environmental stewardship while acknowledging the realities of modern urban life. (Ref. 1, 2)
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Green parking lots
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Soil quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Environmental Degradation
- Soil degradation and loss
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces
Project objectives
Convert an unused 24,000-square-foot lot into a functional and aesthetically pleasing public space.
Create a space that serves as both a public park and a 28-car parking lot, addressing the neighborhood's need for parking while enhancing green space.
Harmonize the parking lot with nature by incorporating trees and greenery, making the space a natural extension of the urban environment, treating the soil and introducing local vegetation
Use permeable pavers and sloped berms to effectively manage stormwater, reducing flood risk and promoting environmental sustainability.
Provide a park that transforms into a public garden in the evenings, encouraging community interaction and enhancing neighborhood walk-ability, exercise (cycling), recreational opportunities and access to green areas for low-income communities
Design a space sensitive to Detroit’s car-centric culture while fostering a more balanced relationship between people, nature, and infrastructure. (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 4)
Implementation activities
The project involved transforming a vacant 24,000-square-foot lot into a dual-purpose public park and parking lot. To enhance the site’s greenery and ecological diversity, 78 trees were planted, including Blue Point juniper, Autumn Blaze maple, American sweetgum, and native staghorn sumac, all atop a base of white clover. Tall green berms were designed and constructed to manage stormwater, address soil conditions affected by buried refuse from previously demolished buildings, and conceal parked cars from public view. Permeable pavers were incorporated into the parking areas to facilitate water absorption, reduce runoff, and mitigate flood risks. Granite ground covers were applied to complement the natural aesthetic while providing durability within the parking lot. Additionally, a corner bike rack was installed to accommodate and encourage cycling within the community. (Ref. 1, 2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Prince Concepts, a local Detroit developer, played a central role in envisioning and financing the project, ensuring it aligned with the community's needs and the broader vision for Core City. The project's innovative design was led by D.I.R.T. Studio, a Charlottesville-based firm headed by landscape architect Julie Bargmann. The firm was responsible for integrating parking with a natural landscape. Project designer Andrew Schwartz worked in collaboration with D.I.R.T. Studio and Prince Concepts to execute this vision, carefully balancing functionality and aesthetics. Construction manager Randall Pardy oversaw the project's implementation, ensuring that the design was realized effectively and sustainably. (Ref. 5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project mentions that it is designed to fit " the broader vision for Core City" - Neighborhood Stabilization Program "stabilization of neighborhoods most severely impacted by foreclosure and abandonment" (1))
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€50,000 - €100,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Achieved storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Environmental quality
- Improved soil quality
- Achieved improved soil quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Achieved improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Achieved increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Stimulate development in deprived areas
- Achieved stimulate development in deprived areas
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Achieved increased appreciation for natural spaces
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Prince Concepts (2022). PARK(ing): DETROIT. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Novakovic, S. (2023). Detroit’s Park(Ing) Is a Green Space First and Parking Lot Second. Azure Magazine, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Niche (n.d.). Core City. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
4.
NeighborhoodScout (n.d.). Detroit, MI (Core City). Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Volner, I. (2023). Park(ing) by D.I.R.T. Studio. Architect Magazine, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Neavling, S. (2022). Green parking lot in Detroit is brimming with 100+ trees. Metro Times, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Schuler, T. (2023). Chucking the Seed Julie Bargmann embraces the urban wilds of Detroit with PARK(ing), designed for Prince Concepts. Arch Paper, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Loop Design Awards (2023). Park(ing) Prince Concepts. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Reindl, J. (2021). Detroit's Core City project revitalizes abandoned Detroit buildings, land. Detroit Free Press, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Novakovic, S. (2023). Metamorphosis: Prince Concepts Reimagines Detroit’s Core City. Azure Magazine, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Patio in Park(ing)
Andrew Schwartz
Park(ing) concept
Chris Miele
Aerial view of Park(ing)
Chris Miele
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Core City Park
https://dirtstudio.com/ee/work/core-city-park
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.