Last updated: October 2024
Detroit’s neighborhoods grapple with a dual challenge: neglect and flooding. When the city stopped maintaining alleys in the late 1980s, responsibility shifted to residents. However, with limited resources and a declining population, many of these alleys fell into disrepair, becoming symbols of urban decay. This neglect is further compounded by the increasing frequency and intensity of severe storms, which have exposed the city's vulnerabilities in stormwater management, leading to regular flooding. To address these challenges, the "Alley Activation" project, launched in 2020 by a team of researchers at the UM-Dearborn in partnership with local residents and organizations, seeks to transform neglected alleys into vibrant greenways, rain gardens, and pollinator habitats. The project focuses on cleaning and greening alleys located in 2 neighborhoods namely Littlefield and McNichols. The activated alleys are bounded by Littlefield, Hartwell, McNichols and Outer Drive roads. These roads enclose an area of 141,436 square meters, located in the Bethune community and the Hubbell Puritan neighborhoods. Alley Activation involves clearing blocked alleyways and turning them into inviting, productive spaces that support sustainability goals. These revitalized alleys serve as a "green capillary system," contributing to the city's environmental, cultural, and social well-being. As these spaces are cleared, they offer a fresh opportunity to re-imagine their role and potential within the community. (1,2,3,4,5)
Work in alley
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/b3c837a1db464230b9aa9ced64f88360/page/Alley-Activation/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Combatting crime and corruption
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Extreme weather events (e.g. storms, hurricanes)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Poor community engagement
- Insecurity in public spaces
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
1. To utilize urban alleys in 2 neighborhoods as platforms for integrating rainwater harvesting on the background of recent flooding events that rendered the city's storm water management inefficient
2. To manage storm water runoff efficiently and increase resilience to climate change
3. To foster community-driven place-making initiatives that transform alleys into inviting, productive spaces and encourage local residents' participation in the design and maintenance of activated alleys.
4. To create pollinator gardens and other green infrastructure (greenways) within alleyways.
5. To reduce urban decay by revitalizing underutilized and neglected urban spaces.
6. To enhance neighborhood connectivity and safety through improved alley conditions.
7. To provide a small-scale proof-of-concept for sustainable alley activation that can be replicated in other neighborhoods and cities.
8. To conduct workshops and community events to educate residents about sustainability practices and technologies.
(Ref.1, 2, 3)
Implementation activities
1. The project has been started in 2020, as part of a class at the University of Michigan. Students met online with residents and discussed plans to revitalize the alleys.
2. Activities in 2021 focused on allley cleanups (collaboration between students, faculty, and residents to clear and maintain alleys), neighborhoods mapping (analyzing garage roofs, gutters, flood risk, vacancy, and blight), installation of smart stormwater management systems (different rain barrel designs and a solar-powered "smart" rain barrel); pollinator plantings (permanent installation) in September 2021; community rain barrel workshops (Educational sessions on rainwater harvesting);
3. In 2022 these activities were planned and achieved: development of wind-solar microgrid (powers fence lights and a cooling mister); virtual reality (VR) alley designs (VR renditions to visualize and plan alley transformations); public showcases and events featuring art, music, and ecological design elements, such as during the Detroit Month of Design.
(Ref.1,2,3)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Disadvantaged ethnic or racial groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was initiated by 3 professors at UM-Dearborn as part of a research grant offered by the University of Michigan. The professors provide technical expertise, conduct research, develop sustainable solutions, and assist with mapping and project implementation. Students of the university were also involved as they met online with residents and discussed plans to revitalize the alleys.
The project received support from an NGO- DAVIS - Detroit Ain't Violent It's Safe that coordinates alley cleanups, community engagement, and the implementation of green infrastructure projects.
Citizens: Local residents participate in the design, maintenance, and upkeep of the activated alleys, attend workshops, and engage in community events to ensure the success and sustainability of the project.
(Ref. 1, 2,3)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(City of Detroit's Alley Program (1))
Type of enablers
Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching), Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS
Financing
Total cost
Less than €10,000
Source(s) of funding
- Research organisation / University
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Expected enhanced support of pollination
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Achieved restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Increased property prices
- Expected increased property prices
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
- Expected reduce financial cost for urban management
- Attraction of business and investment
- Expected attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Expected increased perception of safety
- Decreased crime rates
- Expected decreased crime rates
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Draus, P.; Pannier, C.; Napieralski, J., Batey, K., Rivers, C. (2021). Catalyst Grant Final Project Report. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Tuxbury, S. (2021). How a Detroit neighborhood is creating change one alley at a time. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Wildlife Habitat Council (2021). Corridors of Community: WHC and partners secure funding for alley activations in Detroit. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Bleiler, J. (2022). Dearborn professor works in partnership to reinvigorate Detroit. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Colvin, R. (2021). Canfield Consortium Activate Alley on Detroit East Side. Detour Detroit, Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Flux City (2022). script-of-video-this-detroit-neighborhood-association-is-partnering-with-u-of-m-to-reactivate-urban-alleys.pdf. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Batey, K. (2021). script-of-video-alley-activation-as-a-practical-neighborhood-based-sustainability-strategy.pdf. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Data USA (2022). Detroit City (Northwest) PUMA, MI. [Source link];
9.
Draus, P. et al. (2022). Alley Activation as a Green Health Intervention: Lessons from a Detroit Partnership. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
Stormwater barrel
Detroit Alley Activation Project
Community day stalls
Detroit Alley Activation Project
Unactivated alley
Detroit Alley Activation Project
Community day in activated alleyway
Flux City
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.