Gehl worked with the Belle Isle Conservancy to reimagine what the area around the major cultural institutions on the island. More from Gehl:

Belle Isle is Detroit’s premier large open space and home to some of the city’s iconic cultural institutions. Today, however, the public space around the core destinations of the Isle invites for car-first, one-off visits — rather than a continuous, lingering experience. Gehl was engaged by the Belle Isle Conservancy to reimagine this key area of the isle as the Belle Isle Commons: a cohesive, welcoming public space that connects cultural destinations, and a destination for Detroiters and visitors in its own right.