University of Michigan
EN-9: Community Partnerships

Detroit Sustainability Indicators Project - With approximately 30% vacant land within the City of Detroit and an infrastructure built to support a population of nearly two million in the 1950s compared to less than 700,000 today, numerous sustainable redevelopment ideas have been proposed for the City. To support these efforts, the Graham Institute partnered with Data Driven Detroit (D3) to initiate the Detroit Sustainability Indicators Project in 2011. D3 is a nonprofit organization that provides accessible, high-quality information and analysis to drive decision-making that strengthens communities in Southeast Michigan. In partnership with D3, the Graham Institute funded six U-M faculty-led research projects to develop data, tools, and analysis to help decision makers in Detroit consider sustainability in their planning efforts. The projects addressed economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability on topics including: Vacant Land, Stormwater Management, Air Pollution, Federal Investment Trends, and Measuring Urban Sustainability. Timeframe: 2011-2014.

GLAA-C - Effective adaptation to climate change is nowhere more critical than in cities because most people now live in urban environments. The Great Lakes watershed accounts for one-fifth of the world’s fresh water and houses approximately 10% of the US and 25% of Canadian populations (40 million people total). Climate change impacts in the Great Lakes region are anticipated to worsen risks of flooding, reduce water availability and quality, increase problems related to heat stress, and negatively impact economies in cities dependent on tourism and recreation. Despite these anticipated risks and their substantial adverse impacts on populations in the Great Lakes region, many urban decision makers highlight the need for place-based climate science and options for responding to impacts. The Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities worked closely with regional partners and urban decision makers to identify adaptation needs, opportunities for action, and relative costs of different response options. Through the support the University of Michigan Graham Sustainability Institute and the Kresge Foundation, and in collaboration with Great Lakes Integrated Sciences + Assessments (GLISA), this Integrated Assessment (IA) strengthened the science and decision making necessary for more effective urban climate adaptation in the Great Lakes region (both Canada and the U.S.). The IA was led by several University of Michigan (U-M) faculty research teams in coordination with partners across the region. Cities partnered with include Ann Arbor MI, Dayton OH, Flint MI, Kingston ON, Thunder Bay ON, & Toledo OH. One aspect of the project were workshops where GLAA-C staff and students worked collaboratively with cities throughout the Great Lakes region to deliver customized climate change adaptation workshops. These workshops provided city staff, elected officials, and key stakeholders insights on regionally significant current and anticipated changes in climate and a better understanding of how impacts from these changes will affect operations and services of the municipal government and its partners. Timeframe: 2011-2015.

To support creative redevelopment efforts in Detroit, the Graham Institute partnered with the Detroit-based nonprofit civil and human rights organization Focus: HOPE to conduct the Sustainability and the HOPE Village Initiative Integrated Assessment (IA). The HOPE Village Initiative is Focus: HOPE's comprehensive, place-based effort that aims to ensure that, by the year 2031, 100% of neighborhood residents will be educationally well-prepared, economically self-sufficient, and living in a safe, supportive environment. Through collaboration among U-M researchers, Focus: HOPE staff, and community residents, the IA generated data, plans, and recommendations to help Focus: HOPE advance the HOPE Village Initiative and revitalize the neighborhood. The Graham Institute funded six interdisciplinary teams to work on a range of environmental, economic, and social issues critical to the HOPE Village Initiative's success including: vacant and open space, housing, education, economic development, built environment, and social perceptions.Collaboration was central to the overall IA and the individual research projects. Focus: HOPE’s priorities and feedback guided the work, and the Graham Institute and Focus: HOPE worked to facilitate coordination between the teams, and residents provided valuable insight into neighborhood challenges and opportunities. To encourage further community involvement with the projects and support the HOPE Village Initiative, the Graham Institute sponsored a community block party so that a wide range of residents could provide input on the projects in a fun, family-friendly setting. The research teams also shared their work and solicited community feedback through a six-week interactive poster display at the neighborhood branch of the Detroit Public Library. Future Opportunities: Recognizing that the implementation of recommendations will require additional resources, the teams developed project proposals that Focus: HOPE may submit to potential funders. In addition, Graham Institute staff are participating in ongoing meetings with Focus HOPE staff and representatives from Michigan State and Wayne State to determine how to best advance HOPE Village Initiative objectives and create a learning and engagement collaborative. Timeframe: 2012-2014.

http://graham.umich.edu/glaac http://graham.umich.edu/knowledge/ia/detroit/focushope