Map: A Better Belle Isle for Detroit

by: Dan Seiderman

Introduction

This map is an attempt to bring a feeling of cohesion to the layout of the park. Many areas feel disconnected from each other, and I believe this is largely due to the overabundance of car infrastructure. As an island, I don’t think it makes sense to fully pedestrianize the park (as was done with Central Park and Prospect Park in NYC) due to the lack of transportation options for getting to the park. That said, I believe restricting car access to a few strategic roads would really help visitors feel like they’ve been transported to a magical realm as opposed to driving around an underwhelming theme park filled with a series of scattered, dilapidated attractions. To create the desired feeling of cohesion, I believe it is necessary to take a master planning approach to the whole island with full pedestrianization of Central Avenue as a core feature.

Comparison

See the slider below for a visual comparison between the existing park and my recommended improvements:

Summary of Changes

The list below is a summary of the changes that I made to the map and other recommendations:

  • Routes
    • Car Access
      • Cars are limited to the perimeter loop, three new/modified transverse roads, and a modified Loiter Way (which provides a secondary connection between the transverse roads).
    • Belle Isle Drive
      • The entire perimeter loop should be renamed Belle Isle Drive to avoid the confusion that results from using multiple names for the same road.
      • At most, the loop should have two through lanes for cars.
      • Ideally, I would love to see a dedicated streetcar lane added to the loop on grassy tracks to provide public transit access.
    • Transverse Roads
      • Grand Boulevard (Transverse Road 1 of 3)
        • Muse Road has been extended north and is treated as an extension of Grand Boulevard and the MacArthur Bridge.
      • Inselruhe (Transverse Road 2 of 3)
        • The Alpheus Starkey Williams equestrian statue has been moved from the intersection with Central Avenue to a circular plaza further east on Central Ave that demarcates the transition from a linear promenade to a nature path.
        • This must be done to facilitate the construction of an overpass over Central Avenue (see following section on overpasses).
      • Vista Drive (Transverse Road 3 of 3)
        • Vista Drive has been reconnected across the old zoo.
      • Overpasses
        • To facilitate an uninterrupted pedestrian experience from one end of Central Avenue to the other, the transverse roads will utilize overpasses at all intersections with Central Avenue.
        • The inspiration for these overpasses largely comes from the various arch bridges in Central and Prospect Parks in NYC.
        • In addition to allowing free flowing pedestrian movements, they create a “portal” between different sections of the park.
        • Pedestrian paths in a partial cloverleaf pattern will allow pedestrians to walk between Central Avenue and the transverse roads.
    • Canoe Routes
      • Modifications to bridges may be required to restore full canoe access to all the canals and lakes without requiring boaters to duck or portage.
      • Canoe stations are marked along the routes for the canoe-share system.
        • Similar to a bikeshare system (MoGo in Detroit), users can dock and undock canoes at various points around the island through the use of an app or kiosk.
        • This gives boaters the flexibility to paddle to an area, dock, explore, and then undock again (even at a different station) and continue boating around the island.
  • Welcome Area
    • The area West of the MacArthur Bridge landing will be used as a welcome center with parking, informational kiosks, and park offices.
    • This offers a natural place for such facilities as it is close enough to the bridge entrance to the park without car traffic backing up onto the bridge while waiting to park.
    • An overpass over Pleasure Drive will allow park patrons to park their car for the day close to the bridge, and then easily drive back to the bridge when leaving without conflicting with traffic entering the island or driving significantly out of the way.
  • Fountain Area
    • There are terraced, concentric paths that radiate out from the fountain that are inspired by the Concert Grove area of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY.
      • In general, the landscape in this area goes from a low point near the canal and works its way up to the fountain as the high point.
    • The first tier is lined with commercial buildings. These buildings would be two-to-three stories and include a grocery store, pizzeria, ice cream parlor, and other shops and restaurants on the first floor, while the upper floors would either include lodging or additional shops and restaurants.
      • There are 48 lots that range from 20 to 30 feet wide.
      • This commercial district gives parkgoers the option to pick up any last-minute picnic supplies, have a hearty breakfast before exploring the island, or enjoy an ice cream cone at the end of a long summer day at the park.
  • Botanical Garden
    • Loiter Way has been realigned to allow more room for the creation of a botanical garden with the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the adjacent formal garden, and the Oudolf Garden as the anchor points for expanded garden facilities.
  • Zoo
    • The zoo has been shifted to the area bounded by Inselruhe, Vista Drive, Central Avenue, and Loiter Way.
    • It should serve an educational purpose and contain animals native to Michigan such as deer, black bears, foxes, wolves, bobcats, coyotes, moose, turkeys, sandhill cranes, etc.
    • This replaces the existing Nature Center and the old zoo.
    • The playground and Giant Slide currently in this area have been moved west to the southern half of the Middle Grounds near the parking lot.
  • Golf
    • All golfing facilities have been moved to the area north of Lake Muskoday and adjacent to the Yacht Club.
    • This is done in part to restore full pedestrian access to the loop around the Blue Heron Lagoon.
  • Bandshell and Amphitheater
    • A new band shell and amphitheater have been added to the southern end of the Blue Heron Lagoon.
    • This is to replace the band shell that must be demolished to make room for the new Botanical Garden.
    • The new location takes advantage of an existing hill though additional fill may be necessary.
  • Beach House
    • The current Beach House has been replaced with a neoclassical structure inspired by Roman baths and has a covered pool which opens into the river.
  • Ferry service
    • A ferry and riverboat pier has been added to the northern extent of Fountain Way.
    • The route would connect several points along the riverfront and include express service between Hart Plaza and Belle Isle.
  • Belle Isle Research Station
    • The area that contains the stables, the greenhouses, and the White House will form the basis of a collaborative research station shared by Michigan’s major universities.
    • Seasonal study programs will provide students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a variety of topics such as agriculture, botany, animal science, forestry, architecture, business, etc.
    • In addition to hosting research, this station will assist in the operation of Belle Isle, including horse rental, supplying the botanical garden with plants, managing the Nature Preserve, tending to the animals in the Zoo, etc.
  • Casino
    • The pond between the Casino and the loop will offer a staging area for canoe rental in the Summer and a skating rink in the Winter.
    • The Casino will house a counter for boat and skate rental as well as public restrooms, a café, a fine dining restaurant, banquet halls, and lodging.
  • Athletic Fields
    • Additional paths and facilities have been added to the area west of Vista Drive.
    • The area east of Vista Drive has been cleared for additional athletic fields.
      • This is largely inspired by the original Olmstead plan which called for this entire area to be part of the Parade Grounds.
  • Nature Preserve
    • Some changes have been made to the paths through the Nature Preserve area.
    • All paths in this area must be car-free.
    • A clearing has been added to the eastern edge of the area to provide picnic space in a more forested setting.

Park Areas

The map below includes labels to indicate each distinct area of the park.

Park Amenities

Below is a summary of the amenities that the park would offer:

  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Swimming
  • Horseback Riding
  • Boating
  • Ice Skating (winter)
  • Picnicking
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Athletics
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
  • Dining
  • Shopping
  • Lodging
  • Botanical Gardens
  • Zoo
  • Aquarium
  • Playground
  • Band Shell
  • University Research

Conclusion

These recommendations are meant to create a flowing park experience that feels more cohesive and more walkable than the current layout. I like a lot of the work that has been done over the past couple of years between the mobility study and the Belle Isle Commons projects, but I wanted to share my own vision as I believe it presents a strong, high-level perspective. 

The addition of commercial and university research facilities would help secure consistent funding and create incentives for maintaining the park in a state of good repair while adding new amenities. I believe these changes, along with the others outlined in this article, would make Belle Isle a world-class park. 

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