Author Archives: Alex B. Hill

Map: 76 Detroit Parks to be Decommissioned

Land-UseOpportunityParksAfter pouring over parks data last summer, I had found that 112 parks had been left without any clear plan whether that was community adoption, city mowing, or other. There has been rumor that “51 parks will be decommissioned,” but no word yet on which ones or what that actually means.

“Though the city would not release a park decommission list to Bridge, a draft of a map from Dick’s department listing more than 60 ghost parks that are either decommissioned or on their way to being decommissioned has circulated among Detroit’s park observers.” – Bill McGraw, Bridge Magazine

In a draft map that is part of the new “parks master plan” 76 parks have been given the designation of “land use opportunity parks.”

  • Stone Memorial School or “Stone Pool” is already known to have been promised to DTE Energy
  • Redmond Plaza sometimes called “needle park” has been fenced off since the construction began on Selden Standard
  • Wick Park might become a parking lot for the new CCNDC affordable housing apartments (link)
  • Cass Park was almost handed over to Olympia Development (Illitch) last year (link)

Does this mean the city will sell park land to be developed? Will these be targeted for non-motorized transit oriented development (TOD)? Is there any accompanying data on people served by the green space. It seems odd that the city would give up green space in the rapidly developing inner ring around Midtown/Downtown.

At the same time the city is pushing out a lot of positive press on parks. Things have definitely improved, but there are still more questions than answers.

UPDATE 07/28/15 from the General Services Department (GSD):

The General Services and Parks and Recreation Departments are in the process of updating our 2006 Strategic Master Plan, which kicked off with two citywide public meetings this winter. As the title suggests, the mapping exercise above pictures an early draft of several parks that offer opportunities for broader public use beyond recreation (such as carbon buffers, more natural landscapes, or even urban farms). While these ideas are still in early planning stages, all the parks listed on the map (other than those mentioned in the post as sold) will remain public land and many are planned for improvements. Once GSD and DPRD have a more robust draft of our plan update, this will be released to the public for review and feedback before going to City Council. At this stage, calling parks on this list “decommissioned” is incorrect and sends the wrong message to the citizens of Detroit.

Map: TechTown Detroit District Plans 2014

results1-techtown

The evolution of TechTown has been slow, but steady. The goal has been to create an entire district of placemaking, creative endeavors, and exciting new research. Sasaki Associates, along with Midtown Detroit Inc. and U3 Ventures want to create 2 public plazas along 2nd Avenue and reduce surface parking lots from 27% to 6% within the TechTown District.  scope1-techtown

There is a wealth of people and ideas in the area already with Henry Ford HQ, Wayne State’s new iBio medical research building completing construction, and the College for Creative Studies (CCS) existing work in the Argonaut Building. Wayne State has a 2020 vision to strengthen the campus along the Woodward Corridor, Henry Ford is investing in the area adjacent to TechTown, and Midtown Detroit Inc. recently finished a competition to improve the bridge underpasses (viaducts) in the area. The TechTown District would be a major connector between Midtown and New Center and would solidify connections between some of Detroit’s core institutions.

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The Future Geographers of Detroit Haven’t Yet Made a Map

In May, I had the honor and privilege to collaborate with the Detroit Future Schools program at the Boggs School to present a series of activities about data visualization. Our main goal was to visualize and understand patterns and relationships.

I ran the mapping activity where 2nd and 3rd graders identified where they lived, how far that was from school, and if they had any classmates who lived nearby. Many of the students didn’t realize they had a classmate who lived very close or similarly, how far some of their classmates lived from the school.

My favorite response to the map was:

“That doesn’t even look like Detroit.”

It is all too easy to get wrapped up in data, boundary lines, and “accurate” depictions of reality. Children can quickly remind us that everyone sees the world a little bit differently and we need more opportunities to share different views. The students may not have made their own map yet, but they already had great understandings of the power of place.

Map: Where Are the Jobs in Detroit?

wherearejobs_detroit

From Washington Post:

His project, which draws on Census data reported by employers, is modeled off Dustin Cable’s well-known racial dot map that mapped every person in the country.

For Detroit, this project demonstrates the extreme job loss that has plagued the city for half of a century. Auto manufacturing has fled for cheaper labor, firms leave out of fear (racial, crime, etc.), and general decline has not fostered a strong jobs climate.

It is somewhat easy to make out the jobless edges of Detroit, while the areas just outside the city limits have greater job density. Downtown, Midtown, and New Center (Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit Public Schools HQ) are awash with education, medical, and professional jobs. Some manufacturing jobs can be seen following the linear city model along major expressways. Otherwise jobs in the city are spotty. This is a visual representation of the difficulties that James Robertson faced, walking 21 miles roundtrip to work a low paying job in the suburbs.

View the entire interactive project from Robert Manduca 

Map: Children’s Traffic Fatalities in Detroit 2004 – 2014

child-traffic-fatalities-1

In rethinking the Detroit Geographic Expedition and Institute’s (DGEI) maps on “where black children get run over” and “citywide patterns of child traffic deaths and injuries” it became apparent to me that the pattern was partially due to the distribution of children in Detroit (map). For example Southwest has a higher density of children and also more traffic fatalities of children. However, there are some anomalies, such as the higher numbers on North-South streets in the Lower Eastside, on John R. North of Highland Park, and on Conner near the City Airport.

Detroit is known its high infant mortality rate, high rates of gun violence, and poor education system that all contribute to a harsh environment for children. How do we better protect the children in our neighborhoods from cars?

Map: Detroit Master Plan, Neighborhoods and Housing 2004

2004masterplan

This is an interesting map in more ways than just its pastel color choices. The year 2004 was 10 years ago now, pre-Detroit Future City plan, pre-revitalization craze. Notice there are key areas in brown that represent neighborhoods slated for revitalization efforts with no apparent rhyme or reason. Neighborhoods marked with a red star for “redevelopment” appear to be Brush Park, Eastern Market, East Riverfront, East English Village, and Morningside – many of the same focal neighborhoods today. What stands out as something that has been accomplished are all the loft conversions.

This map is another great reminder that nothing happens in a vacuum, redevelopment has a long trajectory. The best example here is Brush Park where the city has been acquiring land, moving residents off that land, to the point today where Mayor Duggan awards redevelopment of Brush Park to Bedrock Real Estate.

Map: Detroit and Vicinity 1910

Detroit-vicinity-1910It is always fascinating to try to imagine early versions of Detroit where there was nothing beyond the border besides open land and dense forests. I always try to imagine if Detroit had grown on both sides of the river what that would have meant for the number of river crossings. Why was there never an additional bridge from Belle Isle to Canada (boat traffic)?

Map: Detroit Greenways Map 2014

detroit-greenways-mapConstruction of the expressways destroyed neighborhoods and disconnected communities, the ambitious plan of the Detroit Greenways Coalition and its many partners seeks to build a new infrastructure that will reconnect neighborhoods and offer alternative transportation in Detroit. The Dequindre Cut project is moving along very well and Conner Creek Greenway has only a few small segments to finish.

If only public transit groups had similar vision, Detroiters may soon have a range of new ways to get from point A to B.

Map: Detroit Parks 1948

det-parks-1948

The Detroit Historical Society shared this map of parks in 1948, however it also includes a number of parkways too. Grand Boulevard and Oakman Boulevard are the longest and most prominent parkways, but you can see a number of smaller parkways as well around the Boston-Edison and Arden Park neighborhoods, the brick-paved Pallister St., as well as what looks like all streets of Grandmont-Rosedale.

Map: Detroit Regional Cartogram 2010

wayne_cartoMembers of the Detroit Geographic Expedition and Institute (DGEI) examined population in a cartogram of Southeast Michigan in 1970. I partially recreated the cartogram looking at just Wayne County population numbers from 2010. The map helps to demonstrate Detroit’s prominence and population among other regional municipalities. Although this map shows population, another interesting application could be looking at regional municipalities by power and influence when it comes to policy and decision-making. Detroit may still be the largest city, but now holds political sway for different reasons.

Map: Woodward Streetcar Lines Rerouting 1915

woodward-lines-routing

The Woodward Line Rerouting map comes from the “Report on Detroit Street Railway Traffic and Proposed Subway” in 1915 (Barclay, Parsons & Klapp). The Woodward lines saw significantly increase utilization between 1904 (12,990,027 passengers) and 1914 (47,457,294 passengers) and the congestion Downtown where all the routes terminated impeded efficient movement of people in and out of Downtown.

The report includes comparisons of other rapid transit systems and what might be best for Detroit as the population was estimated to reach 1,000,000 by the 1920 Census. An underground subway along Woodward like New York’s was deemed unwarranted due to the city’s size and high expense of subway construction. It was also noted that New York didn’t have the same extensive suburban residences as Detroit which made the subway more effective. Chicago’s elevated rail was seen as more feasible for Detroit.

Map: Children’s Neighborhoods in Detroit

children-nhoods-3

When the Skillman Foundation launched the “Good Neighborhoods” Initiative in 2006 they focused on the areas of Detroit that had high numbers of children and high rates of poverty. I assume that they utilized 2000 Census data and wanted to check if there was any significant shift. While I did not run a test of statistical significance of Detroit’s child population, it is a very simple analysis to see that there are still large populations of children (absolute numbers) in the “good neighborhoods.” The Far Eastside and University District areas are the only that appear to have high numbers of children that are not within a Skillman Good Neighborhood.

Map: Detroit Terminal Railroad 1916

DetroitTerminalRRCoMap1916

This map is from the New York Central Railroad Annual Report in 1916.

Detroit, like many major cities, had terminal (belt line) railroads to accommodate business. The Detroit Terminal Railroad (DTRR) was started in 1905 by local business owners in order to allow for expansion and access to rail. At the time (1905) all the good business locations were taken up along the major railroads. The construction of the railroad allowed for the continued expansion of industry into more “rural” areas.

Michigan Central Railroad, Grant Trunk, and Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway jointed purchased the DTRR after it was built. By 1914, the DTRR needed to add a second track to be able to handle the high level of industrial activity. The Chalmers Motor Company, Hudson Motor Company, Continential Motor Company, and the Ford Motor Company were the main industries on the rail line. Ford’s Highland Park plant was the largest user shipping out 100 freight cars with new automobiles every day.

The DTRR switched ownership many times and was operated by Conrail until 1981. Many of the vacant industrial areas of Detroit today would not have existed without the DTRR. Now the majority of the DTRR is being envisioned as an extension greenway loop that connects with the Dequindre Cut.

Map: Detroit Recommended Bike Routes 2010

BikeDetroitMap-521x300

Bike Detroit has a map of “recommended bike routes.” Even though there are far fewer cars in Detroit than during its peak, riding your bicycle on certain roads can be extremely dangerous. Check out their recommended routes to plan your commute or cycling workout.

The map was made in 2010 and now there are significantly more bike lanes. The routes still might be helpful for longer rides and the best cross town routes to choose (routes colored blue on the map).

See routes. . .

Map: Detroit’s Ubiquitous Places – Church and Liquor

Inspired by Nathan Yau’s work at FlowingData on pizza place geography and grocery store geography, I wanted to see how Detroit’s ubiquitous locations compared. Driving along Van Dyke where there was church after church (many abandoned) interspersed with liquor stores gave me the idea of examining which type of location dominated Detroit’s landscape.

church_liquor_dotIt takes forever to scrape the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) website for active liquor licenses, so I relied on a 2012 dataset that I generated a while back. I then utilized data from Data Driven Detroit with Churches from 2011. The data is not perfect, but unless you have someone actively monitoring every liquor license and every church there is going to be significant change. Notably, the number of liquor licenses have been decreasing since 2009. The next step was to set up a grid that was generally half a square mile squares.

church_gridThere are a lot of churches in Detroit and they come in all shapes and sizes from mega churches that cover an entire block to converted storefront churches and the smattering of beautiful historic churches large and small.

grid_liquorThere is a strong concentration of liquor licenses Downtown, which isn’t surprising with the density of restaurants and bars. However there are other notable areas that dot the city with a high number of liquor licenses.

church_liquor_gridThe result of overlaying this data is interesting in that there appears to be a sort of “church belt” that stretches from Downtown to Northwest while liquor stores dominate the areas in between. Churches are more spread out across Detroit and liquor stores tend to be located closer together. It is safe to say that Detroit residents likely live closer to a church than a liquor store, but depending on where you live there may be a near equal amount of each type of location.

Event: #Maptime Detroit – QGIS Intro

QGis_Logo

WHEN: June 13th, 2015

WHERE: Grand River Workplace, 19120 Grand River

WHAT: Hey y’all, at this next #maptimedet we are going to get into QGIS (formerly known as Quantum GIS). QGIS is free, open-source, and highly capable GIS software. If you’ve ever been curious about QGIS and want to learn more, or never even heard of it, join us! We are going to go through some of the basics of using the QGIS software, including adding data, projecting data, symbolizing and map design, and geoprocessing.

If you’ve been using QGIS for years, come and lend your expertise to help others get started and answer questions.

Look for more information, including how to download the software, to be posted soon.

Beginners are encouraged, and be sure bring your laptop

View on Meetup

Map: Arabic Speakers in Metro Detroit

Arabic Detroit

It is well known that Metro Detroit has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the country and is often said to have the largest concentration of Arab immigrants outside of the Middle East.

CityLab highlighted different language variations from the Census’ 2011 Language Mapper that builds on questions of “language spoken at home.”

Map: Community Development Block Grant Allocations 1975 – 1982

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This map was created and featured in “Race and Uneven Development” by Joe T. Darden, Richard C. Hill, June Thomas, and Richard Thomas.

“During the period from 1975 to 1982, funds the city spent in specific, identifiable areas constituted approximately 45 percent of all of the city’s CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] expenditures. […] As Map 5.3 illustrates, the city targeted many of the CDBG funds to the central business district, the riverfront, and the Central Functions area (Woodward Corridor), just as it proposed to do with economic development money.

If anything this map shows the long trajectory of development in Detroit. Since the 1970s funding was being allocated to the same areas that are seeing new changes and renewed focus today. History is a critical piece of understanding various issues in Detroit and most especially with development and funding.

Event: State of Detroit – Detroit’s Food Landscape

IMG_7920The team at the Chicago Design Museum approached me to contribute some maps and data visualizations to their upcoming “State of Detroit” exhibit. It grew into a collaboration that built off of my research focus on food access in Detroit while also addressing some of the “Detroit is Empty” misconceptions.

IMG_7919The installation has a cool sliding feature so you can view different map layers together.

Visit the exhibit from now until August 30th, 2015. More. . .

Map: Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing 1960

dox-1960-home-value

From Doxiadis’ “Emergence and Growth of an Urban Region” Volume 2, this map utilized 1960s Census data.

The most important pattern to see in this map is the low value (and likely low quality) home values in what would have been Detroit’s minority neighborhoods in the “core city” area and Southwest, while the outer neighborhoods (notably Palmer Woods and Grandmont-Rosedale) were much more valuable and predominantly white.