Water: Management for a Productive Landscape

WATER

WATER MANAGEMENT FOR A

PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE

4-5 In Deep

Water

6-31 Big

Problems?

Little Farms!

78-89 Combined

Systems,

Talking Shit

90-133 Knee Deep:

Managing

Runoff

134-147 Who’s Got

What?

32-61 Detroit:

Drop In

62-77 What’s

the Current

Works?

02

186-339 On The

Ground

340-363 Bigger

Picture

366-371 Contributors

148-161 Irrigation

Inequities

162-185 Hydration

Is Key, How

Farms Can

Afford It

364-365 Glass Half

Full

03

372-379 Resources

IN DEEP WATER

Water is fundamental to

Detroit, from its geographic placement

in the Great Lakes region, to its

historical founding and cultivation as

a riverside metropolis. These legacy

conditions set the stage for contemporary

challenges, fostered on the

ecological side by climate change

and environmental degradation of

Southeastern Michigan wetlands,

and on the infrastructural side

through rapid expansion of water

management infrastructure followed

by mass-scale depopulation within

city limits.

These conditions will be

examined in detail, demonstrating

the ways in which previous decades

of overdevelopment in and around

Detroit have created a sprawling

sewer system for which residents are

both overtaxed-per-capita to maintain,

and unfairly charged for water

usage that eschews the system.

Additionally, the analysis shows how

the current system is ill-prepared to

manage rainstorms, which leads to

the overflow of Detroit’s combined

sewer system that contaminates

Detroit’s drinking water and endangers

its natural environments. This

poses a particular threat to Detroit,

as the Great Lakes region indicates

a trend of higher rainfall in response

to climate change.

Luckily, the practice of smallscale

urban farming and pocket

open spaces that implement water

management landscaping hold great

promise in their ability to serve as

a tactical stopgap against overflow

events. Detroit already has an active

network of some 1,400 urban farms

and gardens, but the sustainability of

these agricultural efforts are undercut

by unfair rates on the water they

utilize to maintain year-long activity.

Unlike dispensations offered in

places as close as the surrounding

suburbs (who are served by

the same water and sewage infrastructure),

Detroiters are charged

sewerage rates on all water used by

a household, including that which

does not enter the sewer system, but

goes into the ground of the garden.

Simple changes to the billing system

for exterior water use could go a long

way in supporting the expansion of

grassroots agricultural efforts that

can collectively lessen the impact on

the city’s outdated systems.

The following pages offer a

review of Detroit’s history with water

and its management for public use.

This includes the rise and fall of

its water management infrastructure;

the ecological concerns that

contribute to an accelerating cycle

of overflow events; its impact on the

well-being and health of city residents;

and suggestions and tactics

in support of the practices that can

disrupt such cycles. Let’s examine

why it is the perfect time to chart a

new course for efficient, beautiful,

and equitable water management in

the city.

05

BIG PROBLEMS?

LITTLE FARMS!

What makes a 6-acre urban

farm in Detroit relevant to this

discussion? Why would we turn to

its diverse and passionate group of

stakeholders to seek solutions for

problems on a city scale? Though

perhaps unusual, this heterogeneous

composition of contributors is

able to collectively offer an informed

and multi-approach perspective to

the reciprocal relationship between

Detroit and its water systems.

From community members,

private-sector workers, business

developers, academic researchers,

educators, designers, and engineers

in various disciplines, each participant

brings a unique perspective to

the collective undertaking of designing

and implementing approaches to

water and land management. These

are the voices who need to be leading

the charge in innovating water

systems, because they represent the

hands and lives that interact with the

work on the ground, and live with the

results.

This group of Detroit natives,

transplants, and visitors have developed

a research methodology that

enables each to be heard, traveling

together to visit organizations to

gather novel solutions from organizations

that have addressed similar

challenges. By involving all contributors

on the ground level of research,

we ensure that all the questions that

may arise in the process will be identified,

voiced, and considered as

early as possible. Rather than implementing

a top-down approach that

conceives of design above the level

of implementation, our project has

all participants at the table from the

very start. This inclusive approach

is the best way we know to ensure

collective buy-in, and equitable

representation at all levels of realization.

08

WHO WE ARE

FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS,

PRIVATE-SECTOR WORKERS,

BUSINESS DEVELOPERS,

ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS,

EDUCATORS, DESIGNERS,

AND ENGINEERS IN VARIOUS

DISCIPLINES, EACH

PARTICIPANT BRINGS A

UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE

COLLECTIVE UNDERTAKING OF

DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING

APPROACHES TO WATER AND

LAND MANAGEMENT.

10

THESE ARE THE VOICES WHO

11

NEED TO BE LEADING THE

CHARGE IN INNOVATING WATER

SYSTEMS, BECAUSE THEY

REPRESENT THE HANDS AND

LIVES THAT INTERACT WITH THE

WORK ON THE GROUND, AND

LIVE WITH THE RESULTS.

Oakland Avenue Urban Farm Founders, Billy and Jerry Hebron

12

Oakland Avenue Urban Farm Landscape

The Oakland

Avenue

Urban Farm

Detroit’s North End was

once the city’s cultural focal point.

It attracted artists from across the

United States and influenced fashion,

music, and style on a global

scale. Today, the visual evidence of

this legacy is hard to locate, due to

the city’s prolonged economic struggles

and several blight remediation

campaigns. 70% of the structures in

the neighborhood have been erased,

leaving the neighborhood in a neo-rural

state with barely any access to

fresh food and other resources. The

residents of this area have remained

highly engaged with the neighborhood

politically, fighting for equitable

local redevelopment amongst the

city’s evolving plans for economic

resurgence. The Oakland Avenue

Urban Farm is a critical project for

maintaining a level of equity in local

redevelopment of the community.

The Oakland Avenue Urban

Farm started on a single parcel in

2000 and currently stretches over

30 parcels. Today, along with agricultural

programming, the farm has

mentorship programs, community

and art spaces, and hosts a variety

of classes and workshops. During

Detroit’s recovery from the 2008

recession, the surrounding area

became a place of interest for developers,

which threatened the future of

the farm. A collaboration of residents,

university-based teams, foundations,

and the design firm Akoaki, has

worked to ensure the stability of the

farm and design a long-term plan for

a series of site improvements that

promote economic and environmental

stability. The goal of the design

interventions was to aid the farm in

becoming an autonomous community

resource within a complex urban

scenario that includes water access

issues and unclear land ownership.

Support from the Detroit

Justice Center and the social

enterprise Fellow Citizen further

substantiated the effort, and helped

establish the Detroit Cultivator

Community Land Trust, the first such

entity in Detroit, on the footprint of

the Oakland Urban Farm. The 6-acre

site has various existing structures

that will be designed as public amenities.

Their transformation is ongoing

and developed in collaboration with

community. With environmental and

water resource specialists Drummond

Carpenter, the farm is currently

working on a plan to mitigate stormwater

runoff by implementing a

variety of Green Stormwater Infrastructure

techniques. This will create

a unique cultural landscape, promote

biodiversity, and reduce the burden

of water and sewage costs on farm

operations.

13

Akoaki

Akoaki is a Detroit-based architecture

and design studio founded by

Anya Sirota and Jean Louis Farges.

Since 2008, Akoaki has established

a reputation for innovative and resonant

projects that critically engage

the social, spatial, and material realities

of place. Bridging the commonly

perceived divide between social and

aesthetic practice, the work explores

urban interventions, perceptual

scenographies, and pop actions as

responses to complex and contested

urban scenarios.

Akoaki’s design philosophy

recognizes the pleasure and value

of collective, aesthetic experience.

The creative process, supported by

intensive research and fieldwork,

builds on existing dynamics and

forges relationships between diverse

networks of people. The resulting set

of inter-related experimental works

produces conceptually and materially

surprising, unrestrictive, and

inclusive environments.

With their understanding of

a range of existing methods and

best practices in water stewardship

currently deployed in urban farming

both locally and internationally,

Akoaki and the Detroit Cultivator

team are developing replicable practices

that allow the Oakland Avenue

Urban Farm and Detroit residents

to offset the cost of water. Their

research will contribute to ongoing

efforts to produce a free and autonomous

space for cultural expression

in the North End.

14

15

Site analysis for a guiding plan at the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

Community House and Nice Outfit installation

Guiding Plan for the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

Farmers Market and the Landing, Hostel and Community Kitchen

Guiding Plan for the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

Senegalese Hibiscus Garden and Fruit Orchard

THE OAKLAND AVENUE

URBAN FARM:

JERRY HEBRON

When you first meet Jerry Ann

Hebron, the mischievous twinkle in

her eye, bottomless determination,

and commitment to the health and

wellbeing of the community are plain

disarming. Since 2009, Hebron has

worked tirelessly in the North End to

grow greens, jobs, and a sense of

empowerment for residents, first as

a founding member and chief cultivator

at the Oakland Avenue Urban

Farm, and later as the co-chair of the

Detroit Cultivator Community Land

Trust. Jerry sat down with Jean Louis

Farges, principal of Akoaki, to discuss

food access and water management

at the Farm and beyond.

Jean Louis Farges:

As the founding director of the

Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, can

you tell us a little bit about the story of

the Farm and its response to community

need? In more privileged urban

contexts, gardening can be treated

more like a hobby than an essential

service. The situation seems very

different here.

Jerry Ann Hebron:

I’m a former real estate broker, and

it was probably around 2004 when

Carol [Trowell] and I started following

the Skillman Foundation’s investment

into the Northend, just trying

to figure out what that meant to the

community. I think they invested $10

million into the community to develop

a governance strategy. What we saw

happening as we attended all these

forums and activities is that there was

a lot of divisiveness in the community

because organizations were getting

funded, but the work wasn’t happening,

things were not changing within

the community.

Why weren’t the communities reaping

any direct benefits from these

investments? We stepped away

because what we realized is that this

was not really benefiting the community.

Skillman was micromanaging

how the community made their decisions,

which was not really helping

people here. Eventually that whole

situation blew up, and Skillman

pulled out. And here we were again

- injured, but still trying to figure out

how we survive.

So this all happened prior to 2007.

Then in 2008, the real estate market

collapsed, and my husband and I got

invited to come over to the Northend

by my mom [Reverend Carter] to run

the nonprofit, which meant that we

had to make a decision about how

to meet the needs of the community.

So that’s when we started talking to

people in the community. We needed

jobs, we needed housing, and we

needed food. When you looked

around the community, housing was

in very poor shape and there was no

grocery store that was decent in the

neighborhood.

People were walking around feeling

invisible because there were no

employment opportunities within

the community. If you stopped to

talk to someone, to ask them questions,

they were actually surprised

that people were talking to them,

surprised that you even wanted to

have a conversation with them. I

thought it was very, very strange,

25

because this has always been a

kind of a porch community where

people looked out for each other.

We found that people had become

detached from each other because

of the drugs and the crime and the

isolation. So, because there was so

much land and we had an aggressive

food justice movement, it was

easy for us to establish the first goal

of addressing the food insecurity in

this community.

We did that through our first community

garden, a really small plot. We

would meet with 25 people from

the community to talk about what

we could do on Oakland Avenue to

create an environment of change.

They were hoping that we could

grow food and plant some flowers

and create a space that people

could feel welcomed in. We had

some technical assistance that

was provided to us by Greening of

Detroit. Greening of Detroit also had

some funding that could help us.

For the next six months, this is what

we did. We planned, we designed,

and we decided what the space

would look like. Come April the

next year, we started working on

it. It helped us meet other people

who currently lived here and had

been here a long time.So the first

year we planted the initial community

garden. The next year, in 2010,

we came back and that’s when

Dan Cameron from Eastern Market

came over and helped us open the

farmer’s market that we would run

for 11 years and counting. It wasn’t

until 2013 that we received our first

funding. That was from the Kellogg

foundation. So in the early stages,

our work was through collaboration

and leveraging resources with other

organizations and other people.

JLF:

The Northend neighborhood, from

the geographic point of view, is very

well-connected to Downtown and

Midtown. It’s the first stop on the Qline.

When we started to work together, we

recognized the need for the Farm to

secure ownership of its land in order

to avoid forced displacement should

pressures from speculation increase.

Can you describe the process for

getting ownership of the land, and

how the farm went from a single lot to

almost six acres?

JAH:

So it wasn’t until 2015 that the Church

was able to purchase the lots on

Oakland Avenue from the City of

Detroit, even though they had been

in communication with the City since

2000. So for 15 years, the Church

tried to buy those 10 lots. It was also

in 2000 that a group of 15 folks came

together and helped us realize that it

was a potential threat for us not to buy

land. So this group of supporters and

collaborators pooled their money and

their resources together to buy nine

more properties in an auction held by

the city of Detroit. We realized that

if we did not buy the land and stop

the speculative purchases that were

happening, it was going to be a major

threat to our ability to work. I want to

say that it was probably you, Jean

Louis, who kind of made me stop and

look at this from a different lens.

26

Reverend Carter at Detroit Cultivator’s Crop-Up event in 2017

27

28

Jerry Hebron at the farm’s Community House

JLF:

From the point of view of an outsider,

I saw that without securing the land,

the Farm might have been displaced

within two or three years. So, it was

really important to act at the time

that we did because it would be

very difficult to do so today. Can you

describe some of the work you are

doing currently to form a land trust?

JAH:

It was never the mission of the organization

to be large property owners,

but when there was an increase of

speculative development happening

within the Northend, we thought

that we better start buying this

land now to protect ourselves and

prevent displacement. We wanted

to remain a part of the community

and have a resource controlled by

the community. So we placed all

the land into the Detroit Cultivator

Community Land Trust and developed

a board of people to manage

that land and serve our mission. It

is important that this land remains

a part of the community and that

it provides access to affordable

housing, future production, and

affordable retail because we still do

not have a decent grocery store in

this neighborhood.

JLF:

Right. There are also issues around

water management in many urban

agriculture projects in Detroit. Can

you describe some of the challenges

around that?

JAH:

When we started to expand, it was

difficult to access water on many

of these vacant lots. We installed a

cistern that could hold about 600-700

gallons of water, which helped a

little. When we started doing some

site planning and research with the

University of Michigan and Akoaki,

we figured out how to consolidate

the production areas and get easier

access to water for irrigation. We plan

to eventually install a drip irrigation

system.

JLF:

So, while we were able to create a

path for the irrigation system, there

is a political and economical side to

this challenge. It seems like there is

some form of negotiation that needs

to happen between urban farmers,

the City of Detroit and the water

department to establish special rates

for urban farmers since for one they

often serve as anchor community

resources and at the same time they

are uniquely positioned to help mitigate

stormwater runoff.

JAH:

Related to the charges on drainage,

we’re not a part of the problem.

We’re actually a part of the solution

because the water doesn’t run off

into the combined sewer system. By

remediating the soils with compost

and using plants with deep root

systems, farmers help reduce runoff.

We are also hoping to demonstrate

how with the addition of bioswales,

rain gardens and other tactics to help

mitigate stormwater runoff, we can

make an even greater impact. Hopefully,

through our research, we can

help DWSD understand the ways we

29

30

are beneficial, important contributors

to the environmental resiliency of the

City, so that we can work out some

better methods to financially assist

urban farming projects in Detroit.

31

DETROIT: DROP IN

DETROIT: A SNAPSHOT

What makes Detroit such a

critical player in the water systems

of the state, the Great Lakes region,

and even the country? The city’s

stormwater runoff affects drinking

water quality for a very large portion

of the US population. For a relatively

small river, the Detroit River, serving

as a connector between two Great

Lakes watersheds, creates a huge

environmental impact during overflow

events caused by overtaxed and

outdated city systems.

Further, rising precipitation

under global warming is affecting the

Great Lakes region more dramatically

than in other places, causing

more frequent occurrence of the hard

rain conditions that create polluting

overflow events. For a single urban

footprint, Detroit has an outsized

impact, and the moments of spillover

are only increasing.

Detroit has often been labeled

as a “green city” due to its preponderance

of open space, but that

doesn’t actually translate to it being

ecologically beneficial. The open

space is post-development ruin,

which creates new micro-wilderness,

but only in the wake of human

intervention. What infrastructure

remains is outdated and struggling

to appropriately scale down to serve

a diffuse population in the wake

of outward migration from the city,

and adjust to the rising demands

of climate change. For Detroit to be

truly green, it needs to mitigate the

harmful impact of substandard water

management.

However, these undeveloped

spaces present a unique opportunity

to leverage the open space to actualize

green city practices as Detroit

prototypes an alternate shape for

future cities. If we can innovate and

actualize this vision, the world will

learn from Detroit, as it has in past

centuries.

35

Detroit was named after its

river, the “Rivière du Détroit” (“River

of the Strait”) by French settlers.

Early travel was most efficient by

water, and the town steadily grew

because of its ideal location. To this

day, the Detroit River is one of the

most trafficked rivers in the United

States. 1 So even in its name, Detroit

alludes to the importance of water to

the development of the city.

Detroit’s water infrastructure

expanded rapidly in the 1950s,

driven by demand in the newly-forming

suburbs, and was then followed

by extreme population decrease in

the city proper, seeding decades of

tension regarding the management

of the overbuilt system. Today, the

Detroit Water and Sewage Department

(DWSD) owns the largest water

and sewer network in the United

States and leases the operations of

any facilities outside of the city to the

Great Lakes Water Authority. 2

While the sewer system is

typically underutilized, wet weather

events have the ability to overwhelm

the combined sewer system, leading

to the overflow of partially treated

and untreated waste into nearby

ecosystems, as well as drinking

water. The unique environment of

the Great Lakes is one of the most

heavily altered by human activity in

North America, largely due to the

negative impacts of industrial pollution

from urban and agricultural

development. As the average annual

precipitation in the region increases

and extreme storms occur more

frequently, it is imperative that existing

and future urban developments

in Detroit implement various forms of

Green Stormwater Infrastructure.

Many urban farms and

gardens in the City of Detroit are

already taking measures to implement

green stormwater infrastructure

and improve the biodiversity of the

region. The formerly illegal practice

of urban agriculture not only

successfully manages stormwater, it

creates habitats for various species

of insects and animals, protecting

the region’s vulnerable ecosystems,

and provides education and employment

to surrounding communities.

However, lack of financial resources

and clear paths to the implementation

of GSIs and land ownership

hinder the operational capabilities of

these vital models of environmental

stewardship.

1

Detroit Historical Society, “Founding of Detroit,” 2021.

2

Dana Korberg, “The structural origins of territorial

stigma: water and racial politics in metropolitan Detroit,

1950s–2010s,” 2016.

36

FLOW OF HISTORY

DETROIT IS LOCATED

IN THE LAKE ERIE

WATERSHED. THE LAKE

PROVIDES DRINKING

WATER FOR 10 MILLION

PEOPLE IN THE UNITED

STATES (APPROX. 3% OF

THE U.S. POPULATION) AND

AN ADDITIONAL 1 MILLION

PEOPLE IN CANADA. 3

3

US EPA, Water Quality and Control Management Lake Erie Basin

38

39

TORONTO

LONDON

BUFFALO

DETROIT

ERIE

TOLEDO

CLEVELAND

40

41

95% OF THE WATER

FLOWING INTO LAKE

ERIE COMES FROM

THE DETROIT RIVER. 4

4

Randall Schaetzl, “Watershed of Lake Erie,” 2021

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION

IN THE UNITED STATES

INCREASED 4% BETWEEN

1901 AND 2015.

42

43

THE GREAT

LAKES REGION

SAW A 10%

INCREASE

OVER THAT

INTERVAL. 5

5

Easterling , Kunkel, Arnold, Knutson, LeGrande, Leung, Vose, Waliser, and Wehner. “Precipitation

Change in the United States.” 2017.

75

50

25

0

-25

-50

Annual Average Precipitation in Michigan

1900 1925 1950 1975 2000

Annual Precipitation (% of normal) 9-year Moving Average (% of normal)

in. cm. %

ANNUAL 4.9

12.3

16.10

WINTER 0.6

1.5

10.75

SPRING 1.4

3.6

17.12

SUMMER 1.2 3.0 12.60

Source: NCDC Michigan Climatic Division 10, nClimDiv dataset

% OF NORMAL

44

45

48

46

44

42

40

1895

Annual Average Temperature in Michigan

ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, 1895-2018

1915 1935

1955 1975 1995 2015

Source: Midwestern Regional Climate Center, “Climate Annual Comparison Tool.”

TEMPERATURE (°F)

SOUTHEAST

MICHIGAN

AVERAGES

135 DAYS OF

PRECIPITATION

EVERY YEAR 6 …

46

47

CAUSING DETROIT’S

COMBINED SEWER SYSTEM

TO OVERFLOW. CSO

EVENTS OCCURRED 42

TIMES IN DETROIT IN 2019. 7

6

Current Results Publishing, “Average Annual Precipitation for Michigan,” 2021

7

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, “Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), Sanitary

Sewer Overflow (SSO), and Retention Treatment Basin (RTB) Discharge 2019 Annual Report.”, 2019

Annual Average Water T

LAKE ERIE AVERAGE WATER TEMPERAT

80

75

70

65

TEMPERATURE (°F)

60

55

50

45

40

35

30

1927

1930

1933

1936

1939

1942

1945

1948

1951

1954

1957

1960

1963

1966

1969

1972

1975

1978

Source: Clima

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49

emperature in Lake Erie

URE, 1927-2012

URE, 1927-2012

The Detroit River is a part of the

larger Huron-Erie Corridor which

greatly impacts the overall health

of Lake Erie’s ecosystems. This

graph shows the rising average

water temperature of Lake Erie

which is likely caused by the

effects of climate change, such

as rising average temperatures

and more frequent wet weather

events. More specifically, these

wet weather events cause an

increase of partially treated and

untreated runoff entering these

ecosystems from large urban

developments. This activity

damages the overall health of

the lake and creates a productive

environment for invasive species

and toxic algal blooms. 8

8

Nature Conservancy, Nature Conservancy of

Canada, and Michigan Natural Features Inventory,

“Returning to a healthy lake: Lake Erie

biodiversity conservation strategy.” 2012.

SEPTEMBER

MAY

JANUARY

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

MAY

(LINEAR)

MAY

JANUARY

(LINEAR)

JANUARY (LINEAR)

SEPTEMBER (LINEAR)

1981

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996

1999

2002

2005

2008

2011

MAY (LINEAR)

JANUARY (LINEAR)

1981

te of Ohio - Past, Present & Future, “Lake Erie Getting Warmer.” 2015.

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996

1999

2002

2005

2008

2011

te of Ohio - Past, Present & Future, “Lake Erie Getting Warmer.” 2015.

The City of Detroit is located in the

Southern Great Lakes Forest ecoregion,

which is one of the most heavily

impacted regions by human activity

on the continent.

UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS

A major staging area for migrating

birds, and sand pits hosting unique

plant communities, the Southern

Great Lakes Forest region includes

vast interior wetlands and offers an

extension of midwestern prairies.

The area is made more biodiverse

through its network of islands on

Lake Erie, which host a variety of

species unique to the ecoregion.

CONSERVATION CHALLENGES

Agricultural and urban development

are the predominant land uses in

the region making it one of the most

heavily altered by human activity in

North America. Remaining patches

of wildlife are meager with little to

no connectivity in many areas. This

region has no protected areas larger

than 500 square kilometers. 9

9

Ricketts, Taylor, and Marc Imhoff, “Biodiversity, urban

areas, and agriculture: locating priority ecoregions for

conservation,” 2003.

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51

The Huron-Erie Corridor, including

Lake St.Clair, the St. Clair River,

and the Detroit River, makes various

contributions to the overall health

of Lake Erie. This corridor contains

nearshore and stream habitats and

extensive coastal wetlands (the

Detroit River has over 4,000 acres).

More than 65 species of fish, 16 of

which are threatened or endangered,

use the Huron-Erie Corridor. This

area is also part of the central Great

Lakes flyway for millions of migratory

birds. 10

CONTINUED THREATS TO

SHORELINE HABITATS

In urban areas, like the City of Detroit,

continued increases in the intensities

of peak storms can overwhelm stormwater

and sewage handling systems,

leading to a higher frequency of

overflows that reduce water quality.

Also, the city’s highly developed or

hardened shoreline reduces wetland

acreage that typically serves as a

habitat for various species.

10

Nature Conservancy, Nature Conservancy of Canada,

and Michigan Natural Features Inventory, “Returning

to a healthy lake: Lake Erie biodiversity conservation

strategy.” 2012.

52

C

53

LONDON

DETROIT

DETROIT

TOLEDO

CLEVELAND

TOLEDO

Lake Erie Watershed

DETROIT

Huron-Erie Corridor

THE SOUTHERN

GREAT LAKES FOREST

ECOREGION IS ONE

OF THE MOST HEAVILY

ALTERED BY HUMAN

ACTIVITY IN NORTH

AMERICA DUE TO

LARGE AMOUNTS OF

AGRICULTURAL AND

URBAN DEVELOPMENT. 11

11

Ricketts, Taylor, and Marc Imhoff, “Biodiversity, urban areas, and agriculture: locating priority

ecoregions for conservation,” 2003.

54

55

56

57

97% OF

WETLANDS

ALONG THE

DETROIT

RIVER

HAVE BEEN

DESTROYED. 12

12

Hartig, Zarull, Ciborowski, Gannon, Wilke, Norwood, and Vincent, “Long-term ecosystem monitoring and

assessment of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie.” 2009

Altering Ecosystems

During severe wet weather events,

stormwater runoff from impervious

surfaces can overwhelm stormwater

handling systems, causing pollutants to

alter surrounding ecosystems.

MIGRATORY LOCATIONS SHIFT AS

SHORELINE HABITAT DISAPPEARS

AQUATIC SPECIES INTERACTION

IS DISRUPTED

WATER TEMPERATURE RISES

WATER QUALITY LOWERED

INCREASE IN

INVASIVE SPECIES

INSECT AND FISH LARVAE

BECOME DAMAGED

58

Source: Nature Conservancy, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Michigan Natural Features Inventory, “Returning

to a healthy lake: Lake Erie biodiversity conservation strategy.” 2012.

STORMWATER RUNOFF ENTERS THE DETROIT

RIVER FROM THE COMBINED SYSTEM

59

The age of the Anthropocene

means that we cannot take the

patchwork of seemingly “natural”

spaces across Detroit’s ecosystem at

face value. Most of what stands fallow

today was previously developed for

residential, commercial, or even

industrial use, meaning that whatever

vegetal resurgence we witness in the

present day is still built on an artificial

foundation and often overrun by

invasive species.

97% of the region’s natural

wetlands have been destroyed, so

even where the preexisting ecology

has been rekindled to some extent,

it is growing back from the impact

of human intervention. The openspace

framework of Detroit is

paradigmatically modern, DETROIT but it’s

important to remember it is also

entirely post-anthropocene in terms

of our ecological relationships.

By relinquishing our hold on false

notions of “purity” in Michigan

ecology, we accept that all of the

water works in the Great Lakes have

been affected by humans, and work

forward to make better systems

from there. At least we have an

unprecedented amount of room in the

urban landscape of Detroit to model

new processes and systems that

can become the standard for cities

needing to revise their relationship

with water management.

WETLAND AREA LOSS

PERCENTAGE OF WETLAND

AREA LOST FROM 1800 - NOW

80-100% LOST

60-79% LOST

40-59% LOST

DETROIT

20-39% LOST

0-19% LOST

Map Sources: EGLE Wetlands Map Viewer,

National Estuarine

Research Reserve Science Collaborative’s “Working Wetlands”

60

DETROIT

61

WHAT’S THE CURRENT

WORKS?

64

Top: Waterworks Park, Bottom: Springwells Treatment Plant

The Politics of

Water

In metropolitan Detroit, political

conflict surrounding the city’s

water system has been driven by the

burden of maintaining overbuilt infrastructure

and the lack of cooperation

between the city and surrounding

municipalities. In 1955, when the

city decided to provide water to 44

suburban municipalities as wholesale

customers, Detroit’s water

infrastructure expanded rapidly to

increase capacity.

By the time mayor Albert

E. Cobo left office in 1973, 96

municipalities were being served

by Detroit-run water systems. To

accommodate the need for heightened

water capacity during his time

in office, the Springwells Treatment

Plant expanded to increase capacity

to 540 million gallons per day; the

Southwest Treatment Plant opened

with a capacity of 240 million gallons

per day; and the department introduced

an $89M project to build an

intake system on Lake Huron to hold

400 million gallons per day.

When Detroit elected Mayor

Coleman A. Young in 1973, the

water system was serving 4 million

people versus the 5.5 million people

it was designed for, leading to a

39% increase in water rates for both

city and suburban customers. This

seeded decades of tension between

the city and surrounding municipalities,

with the suburbs demanding

increased representation on the

city’s water board.

As the population of the city

decreased and the overscaled water

systems became further underutilized,

water and sewage costs grew

more burdensome, increasing negative

representation of city water

management capability. By 2013,

the city water system pumped 610

million gallons daily to the region,

while the system was built to carry

up to 1.7 billion gallons of water to

the region every day. This is less

than the 695 million gallons it was

pumping daily in 1954, when there

was a rush to build up the system to

accommodate suburban residents.

Today, the DWSD owns one of

the largest water and sewer networks

in the United States. However, after

the city filed bankruptcy in 2014, the

terms of their agreement required a

forty-year lease of the system outside

of the city proper to the Great Lakes

Water Authority (GLWA). The GLWA

is now the regional water authority.

When GWLA assumed operations

in 2016, they also assumed $4

billion of DWSD’s debt, in addition to

paying $50 million per year for lease

of DWSD infrastructure.

According to the City of

Detroit Great Lakes Water Authority

Agreement: “The lease helps protect

all wholesale customers against the

delinquencies of City retail customers,

creating a budget stabilization

fund in the initial amount of $23

million for retail revenue protection

over the next three years.” 14

13

Dana Kornberg, “The structural origins of territorial

stigma: water and racial politics in metropolitan Detroit,

1950s–2010s.” 2016

65

IN RESPONSE TO

SUBURBAN EXPANSION,

THE CITY RAPIDLY

EXTENDED ITS WATER

INFRASTRUCTURE TO

44 MUNICIPALITIES

IN 1955 TO INCREASE

CAPACITY. 15

15

Dana Kornberg, “The structural origins of territorial stigma: water and racial politics in metropolitan Detroit,

1950s–2010s.” 2016

66

DWSD / GLWA SERVICE AREA

67

1853-1955

1956-1973

1974-2020

Source: Dana Kornberg, “The structural origins of territorial stigma: water

and racial politics in metropolitan Detroit, 1950s–2010s.” 2016

LARGEST U.S. TREATMENT FACILITIES

WET WEATHER CAPACITY (M3/DAY)

7,000,000

6,000,000

5,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

2,000,000

1,000,000

DETROIT WASTEWATER

TREATMENT PLANT

(DETROIT, MI)

WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

STICKNEY WATER

RECLAMATION

PLANT

(CHICAGO, IL)

DEER ISLAND WASTE

WATER TREATMENT

PLANT

(BOSTON, MA)

BLUE PLAINS ADVANCED

WASTE WATER

TREATMENT PLANT

(WASHINGTION DC)

HYPERION SEWAGE

TREATMENT PLANT

(LOS ANGELES, CA)

Source: McFarland, Pam Hunter, and Scott Lewis. “The Top 10 Biggest Wastewater Treatment Plants.” 2016

68

TODAY, THE DETROIT

69

WATER AND SEWER

DEPARTMENT

OWNS ONE OF

THE LARGEST

WATER AND SEWER

NETWORKS IN THE

UNITED STATES.

Population

8 million

7 million

6 million

5 million

4 million

3 million

2 million

1 million

1836

Department of

Water Supply

begins supplying

water to the city

1879

Water Works

Park Water

Treatment Plant

opens

1830

1840

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

193

70

The graph and timeline above illustrates how the increase of

service area and capacity of Detroit’s water infrastructure grew

in parallel with the population of suburban areas surrounding

the city in the past 190 years.

Source: Dana Kornberg, “The structural origins of territorial stigma: water and racial politics in metropolitan

Detroit, 1950s–2010s.” 2016

71

Water Treatment

Capacity

1935

Springwells

Treatment

Plant opens

1953

Board of Water

Commissioners

formed to

operate the

water system

1 January 2016

DWSD begins

leasing to GLWA

2 billion gallons

1.75 billion gallons

1956

Northeast

Treatment Plant

opens

1.5 billion gallons

1956

Springwells

Treatment Plant

expanded

1.25 billion gallons

1964

Southwest

Treatment Plant

opens

1973

Department

officially named

Detroit Water

and Sewer with

new city charter

1 billion gallons

750 million gallons

500 million gallons

1974

Lake Huron

Treatment

Plant Opens

250 million gallons

0

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

Population of the City of Detroit (US Census)

Population of Detroit Metro Area (US Census)

DWSD / GLWA Water Treatment Capacity

Designed to serve 7.2 million residents by 2000

Within the City of Detroit, the water system has

approximately 2,700 miles of pipe to transport

potable water to residents. Its combined sewer system

has approximately 3,000 miles of pipes to transport

sewage and stormwater runoff. 16 DWSD released plans

to replace 1 to 2 percent of water lines per year moving

forward, which while much higher than other midwestern

cities, offers a solution to Detroit’s water infrastructure

woes in fifty to one hundred years. In 2019, their plans

to replace 29 miles of water line and 19 miles of sewer

line cost 57.4 million dollars. In some areas of Detroit,

wooden sewer lines from the late 1800s are still being

replaced. 17

16

City of Detroit, “Water and Sewerage Department”

17

Aaron Mondry, “Detroit to Invest $500M over Five Years to Upgrade City’s Water and Sewer Systems.” 2019

72

Source: sewerhistory.org, 2004

73

74

75

THERE ARE

APPROXIMATELY

45 FEET OF

WATER &

SEWER LINE

PER DETROIT

RESIDENT.

76

The wood stave pipe was commonly installed to transport water and sewage in

major cities around the United States, including Detroit. The drawing above shows

an example of this type of sewer line that was built in Philadelphia.

Source: sewerhistory.org, 2004

77

COMBINED SYSTEMS:

TALKING SHIT

The five water treatment

plants shown on the

map were built to serve

the suburbs surrounding

Detroit. These facilities are

leased to the Great Lakes

Water Authority from the

Detroit Water and Sewage

Department. In these

treatment plants, water

sourced from the Lake

Huron and the Detroit River

is filtered and disinfected

before being distributed to

surrounding regions.

Source: Detroit Water and Sewerage

Department, “Water and Sewer Maps.”

2014

Water Treatment &

Distribution

Lake Huron Water

Treatment Plant

400 million gallons per day

Opened in 1974

Northeast Water

Treatment Plant


Opened in 1956

Waterworks Park

Treatment Plant


Opened in 1879

Springwells

Treatment Plant


Opened in 1935

Expanded in 1959

Southwest

Treatment Plant


Opened in 1964

80

The following municipalities recieve potable water from the Springwell

treatment plant, opened in 1935 and expanded in 1959. Each municipality

charges a different rate for potable water.

City of Detroit

$12.35 for 3740 gallons

$0.0033 per gallon

Livonia


$0.0035 per gallon

Plymouth Township


$0.0041 per gallon

Northville


$0.0051 per gallon

Plymouth


$0.0053 per gallon

Redford


$0.0059 per gallon

Southfield


$0.0067 per gallon

*The average water usage per household is 3740 gallons in Detroit. 18

*Rates above do not include maintenance charges.

82

GLWA “Member Partner” rates are based on a combination of distance

and elevation from Water Treatment Plants and system demands. This

determines the “wholesale rate” that GLWA provide to the community.

Then, each community may add operations and maintenance charges,

capital expenditure charges, etc. 19

18

Detroit Future City, “Your New Bill Has Arrived!” 2018

29

GLWA, “Our Water System,” 2021

Northville

Southfield

Plymouth

Plymouth

Township

Livonia

Redford City of

Detroit

Springwell

Treatment

Plant

84

The Water

Resource

Recovery Facility

DWSD owns the largest wastewater

treatment plants in the United

States, and treats approximately 650

million gallons of wastewater per

day on average. During wet weather

events, the flow of water to this facility

significantly increases, being able

to primarily treat up to 1.7 billion

gallons of wastewater per day and

secondarily treat 930 million gallons

per day. 20 Primary treatment typically

involves holding the wastewater in a

basin where solids can settle to the

bottom while oils and grease float to

the surface. The waste materials are

removed, and the remaining liquid is

discharged or moved to secondary

treatment. In secondary treatment,

suspended biological matter is

removed using micro-organisms in

a managed habitat. All dry-weather

flows go through primary and

secondary treatment. Water from the

Detroit Water Resources Recovery

Facility is discharged into the Detroit

River and the Rouge River.

The plant was constructed in

the 1940s and has been expanded

three times since then, due to the

extension of services to suburbs

and the increased frequency of wet

weather events. Before the 1940s,

Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck,

and Grosse Pointe dumped industrial

waste and sewage directly into

sewers that emptied into Connor

Creek, Fox Creek, the Detroit River,

the Rouge River, and Lake St. Clair.

The decision to locate the plant near

the River Rouge stirred up tensions

between the City of Detroit and the

league of municipalities downriver. In

1936, the site on Jefferson Avenue

was identified as the location for the

new wastewater treatment plant.

In the 1960s, phosphorus-induced

algal blooms occurred in Lake

Erie along with oxygen depletion

in deeper waters causing fish kills.

This caused the U.S. and Canadian

government to set target phosphorus

loads in order to control these water

quality issues. The Detroit Water

Resources Recovery Facility was

the largest contributor of phosphorus

to Lake Erie’s ecosystem at the time.

In 1970, the plant started removing

phosphorus from the wastewater by

constructing aeration facilities for

secondary treatment and implementing

an alternative sludge removal

process. 21 The water quality of Lake

Erie dramatically improved after this.

Today, DWRRF treats wastewater

from 76 communities. It treats only

sewage from surrounding municipalities

and, in the City of Detroit, treats

sewage plus untreated stormwater

runoff. 22

20

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, “Wastewater

Master Plan Executive Summary.” 2003

21

Water Technology, “Detroit Wastewater Treatment

Plant,”

22

Great Lakes Water Authority, “Our Water System -

Great Lakes Water Authority.” 2020

85

The Water Resource

Recovery Facility is owned

by the Detroit Water and

Sewerage Department and

it treats approximately 650

million gallons of water

a day. Detroit and some

surrounding communities

have combined sewer

systems so the facility will

treat more waste water

during wet weather events.

Once treated, the water

flows from the DWRRF

to the Detroit River or the

Rouge River.

Source: Detroit Water and Sewerage

Department, “Water and Sewer Maps.”

2014

Sewage Treatment

Water Resource

Recovery Facility

Designed fo 24 million people

Opened in 1940

86

The following municipalities send wastewater to the Water Resource

Recovery Facility. Each municipality charges a different rate for sewage

treatment.

City of Detroit


$0.0091 per gallon

Livonia


$0.0035 per gallon

Northville


$0.0054 per gallon

Plymouth Township


$0.0061 per gallon

Plymouth


$0.0069 per gallon

Redford


$0.0071 per gallon

Southfield


$0.0097 per gallon

*The average water usage per household is 3740 gallons in Detroit. 23

*Rates above do not include maintenance charges.

GLWA “Member Partner” rates are based on a combination of distance

and elevation from the Water Resource Recovery Facility and system

demands. This determines the “wholesale rate” that GLWA provide to the

community. Then, each community may add operations and maintenance

charges, capital expenditure charges, etc. 24

88

23

Detroit Future City, “Your New Bill Has Arrived!” 2018

24

GLWA, “Our Water System,” 2021

Northville

Southfield

Plymouth

Plymouth

Township

Livonia Redford City of

Detroit

DWWTP

KNEE DEEP:

MANAGING RUNOFF

Population Density

& Construction of

Impervious Area

The introduction of hardscape in the

built environment is a major contributor

to excessive stormwater runoff.

It is evident that an increase in the

density of a population correlates

with a higher percentage of impervious

land area. In Detroit, rapid

population growth in the early 1900s

led to the construction of a large

amount of impervious area. Due to

the decrease of the city’s population

after 1950, the city was left with a

much lower population density than

cities with the same percentage of

impervious land use. In the USA

overall, there are millions of new

houses and thousands of miles of

paved road constructed each year.

Constructed impervious surfaces

cause many hydrological and ecological

disturbances. 25

25 Elvidge, Christopher D., Benjamin T. Tuttle, Paul C. Sutton, Kimberly

E. Baugh, Ara T. Howard, Cristina Milesi, Budhendra Bhaduri, and

Ramakrishna Nemani. “Global distribution and density of constructed

impervious surfaces.” 2007

92

93

Road Construction at Springwell Treatment Plant, 1935

Source: Detroit Public Library Digital Collections

94

IMPERVIOUS AND PERVIOUS SURFACES IN DETROIT

Impervious surfaces do not allow moisture to pass through them. Commonly

implemented impervious surfaces include rooftops, concrete, asphalt, and

compacted gravel and soils. During wet weather events, rainfall will not penetrate

into the ground beneath the impervious surface, sending stormwater

runoff to the storm drains. Pervious surfaces will allow water to infiltrate

95

Impervious Area in the City of Detroit

into the landscape. Examples of pervious surfaces include planted lawn

and garden areas, forested areas, and loose gravel. Urban developments

have the largest amount of impervious surface area, thus generating a large

amount of stormwater runoff that needs to be managed.

Source: Detroit Future City “Stormwater 101”

Percentage of Im

Land Cover in So

LIVINGSTON COUNTY

MACOMB COUNTY

ST.CLAIR COUNTY

WASHTENAW COUNTY

The land cover categories shown above include: impervious surfaces (roads, rooftop

fields), bare ground (gravel parking lots, agricultural fields), and water. The region’s im

roads, buildings, parking lots/driveways. The City of Detroit’s land cover is approximat

ous area for the entire southeast region is 14%.

Source: SEMCOG, “Land Cover in Southeast Michigan, 2013”

96

utheast Michigan

97

pervious Area

MONROE COUNTY

OAKLAND COUNTY

WAYNE COUNTY

CITY OF DETROIT

s, driveways), tree canopy, open space (lawn,

pervious surfaces are equally divided between

ely 50% impervious while the average impervi-

Water

Bare

Open Space

Tree Canopy

Impervious

Land Cover in

Percentage of Im

ATLANTA

BALTIMORE

MINNEAPOLIS

NASHVILLE

The land cover categories shown above include: impervious surfaces (roads, rooftop

fields), bare ground (gravel parking lots, agricultural fields), and water. Among the cit

area is Nashville (17.7%) and the city with the highest area is Chicago (58.5%). De

compared to the cities above.

Source: USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications “Tree and impervious cover change in U.S. cities”

98

Major Cities

99

pervious Area

CHICAGO

DENVER

PITTSBURGH

DETROIT

s, driveways), tree canopy, open space (lawn,

ies shown, the city with the lowest impervious

troit has a higher amount of impervious area

Water

Bare

Open Space

Tree Canopy

Impervious

100

THE LAND USE

101

IN THE CITY OF

DETROIT IS 50%

IMPERVIOUS.

Impervious

DETROIT

DETROIT IN 1950:

1,800,000 PEOPLE

325 SF PER RESIDENT

PITTSBURGH

ATLANTA

LOS ANGELES

MINNEAPOLIS

7.12 S

425,4

466 S

BALTIMORE

10.15 S

619,493

456 SF

CHICAGO

28.31 SQ. MILES OF ROAD

2,706,000 PEOPLE

291 SF PER RESIDENT

NEW YORK CITY


8,175,133 PEOPLE

166 SF PER RESIDENT

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

102

ROAD AREA PE

(SQUARE

Land Area

103

21 SQ. MILES OF ROAD

672,662 PEOPLE

870 SF PER RESIDENT


301,048 PEOPLE

722 SF PER RESIDENT


498,044 PEOPLE

566 SF PER RESIDENT


3,990,000 PEOPLE

516 SF PER RESIDENT

Q. MILES OF ROAD

03 PEOPLE

F PER RESIDENT

Q. MILES OF ROAD

PEOPLE

PER RESIDENT

1000

950

900

850

800

750

700

650

600

550

R RESIDENT

FEET)

THERE ARE 870

SQUARE FEET OF

ROAD TO MANAGE

PER CAPITA. DETROIT

HAS 3X MORE ROAD

AREA PER RESIDENT

THAN THE CITY OF

CHICAGO.

104

105

106

DURING WET

107

WEATHER EVENTS,

THE DETROIT

WATER RESOURCE

RECOVERY FACILITY

MUST TREAT MORE

THAN 200 MILLION

GALLONS PER DAY

OF RAINWATER FROM

THE COMBINED

SEWER SYSTEM. 26

26 Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, “Fact Sheet.” 2013

200 MILLION GALLONS

IS ENOUGH TO FILL

303 OLYMPIC SIZE

SWIMMING POOLS.

108

109

BEFORE 1995, THE CITY

USED TO POUR ABOUT

20 BILLION GALLONS

OF RAW SEWAGE INTO

THE DETROIT RIVER

EVERY YEAR. 27

110

TODAY, UNTREATED

111

COMBINED SEWER

OVERFLOW COMING

FROM THE CITY OF

DETROIT IS AROUND

1-3 BILLION GALLONS

PER YEAR. 28

271

Brian Benkowski“Sewage Overflow Adds to Detroit’s Woes” 2013

28

Untreated CSO has been reduced from an annual average of 20 – 25 billion gallons per year (BGY) before submittal of the LTCP in 1993 to a

current estimate of 1 – 3 BGY (varies depending on precipitation).” Detroit Water and Sewage Department, “Fact Sheet.” 2013

FIRST FEDERAL

CLEAN WATER ACT

1948

FLOATING OIL AND

OIL-SOAKED DEBRIS

FROM INDUSTRIAL

SEWAGE IN THE

RIVER ROUGE CATCH

FIRE

1969

1836

THE FIRST

COMBINED SEWER

LINE WAS

CONSTRUCTED IN

DETROIT, DRAINING

DIRECTLY INTO THE

DETROIT RIVER

1940

DETROIT’S WASTE

WATER TREATMENT

PLANT IS

COMPLETED,

TREATING 420

MILLION GALLONS

PER DAY ON

AVERAGE, REMOVING

50-70% OF

POLLUTANTS

1951

BACTERIAL

CONCENTRATION IN

THE DETROIT RIVER

WAS STILL 3-4 TIMES

GREATER THAN IN

1912 FROM

INCREASED

INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY

112

Sources: Morris Pierce, “Water Works History,” 2016 and Morris Pierce “Wastewater Treatment Comes To Detroit:

Law, Politics, Technology And Funding” 2010

113

INCREASED FEDERAL

SPENDING ON

PUBLICLY-OWNED

WASTEWATER

TREATMENT PLANTS

CLEAN WATER ACT

AMENDMENT

REQUIRED STATES

TO ADOPT EPA

WATER QUALITY

STANDARDS

1972

EPA ISSUES

NATIONAL COMBINED

SEWER OVERFLOW

POLICY REQUIRING

PRIMARY

TREATMENT OF 85%

OF COMBINED

SEWER OVREFLOW

1994

1970

SECONDARY

TREATMENT

FACILITIES ARE

ADDED TO THE

DWWTP, REMOVING

APPROXIMATELY 85%

OF POLLUTANTS

1994

A SECOND PUMPING

STATION IS ADDED

TO THE DWWTP,

INCREASING WWTP

CAPACITY TO 1,782

MILLION GALLONS

PER DAY

1995

UP TO THIS POINT,

THE CITY OF

DETROIT

DISCHARGED 20

BILLION GALLONS

OF COMBINED

SEWAGE PER YEAR

ON AVERAGE

2020

THERE ARE STILL 1-3

BILLION GALLONS

PER YEAR OF

UNTREATED

COMBINED SEWER

OVERFLOW COMING

FROM THE CITY OF

DETROIT

Combined Sewer Overflows

(CSOs) are points where

the contents of a combined

sewer system overflow and

discharge excess wastewater

directly to nearby

streams, rivers, or other

water bodies. These overflows

contain not only storm

water but also untreated

human and industrial waste,

toxic materials, and debris.

Depending on yearly precipitation,

partially treated and

untreated combined sewer

overflow coming from the

City of Detroit and surrounding

communities is around

1-3 billion gallons per year. 29

29

Detroit Water and Sewage Department

“Fact Sheet” 2013

Map Source: Data Driven Detroit, “DWSD

CSO Event Data.”

Combined Sewer

Overflows

Untreated CSO Outfalls

114

Treated CSO discharges

pass through Retention

Treatment Facilities (RTFs),

which are designed to

capture combined sewage

long enough to provide

adequate treatment and

disinfection. Many RTFs

generally comprise of

screening/skimming equipment,

storage basin for

settling, and disinfection

equipment. Such facilities

are referred to as Retention

Treatment Basins (RTBs).

Map Source: University of Michigan,

“Factsheets for 17 Combined Sewer

Overflow Retention Treatment Basins in

the Greater Detroit Region.” 2019

Retention Treatment

Basins

CSO Retention Outfalls Treatment Basins

Water Intakes

116

OAKLAND AVENUE URBAN FARM

JOHN R + BRUSH

118

95% OF TOTAL RUNOFF IS CAUSE BY WEATHER EVENTS

WITH LESS THAN 1” OF RAIN 30

30

U.S. EPA, “Technical Guidance on Implementing the Stormwater Runoff Requirements for Federal Projects

under Section 438 of the Energy Independence and Security Act.” 2009

119

REGULATOR - SELF ACTING

BACKWATER GATE

VALVE/REGULATOR - REMOTE OP.

CLOSED

DAM

SEWER METER

LEVEL SENSOR

SEWAGE PUMP STATION

CSO BASIN

SCREENING/DISINFECTION

IN SYSTEM STORAGE DAM

Source: GLWA, Detroit Sewer Collection System

B20 (BRUSH ST.)

OVERFLOW EVENTS OCCURED

42 TIMES IN 2019 31

31

EGLE, “ Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), Sanitary Sewer

Overflow (SSO), and Retention Treatment Basin (RTB)

Discharge 2019 Annual Report.” 2019

ANNUAL NUMBER OF DISCHARGES

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

B059A

B059B

B045

B044

B042A

B042B

B041

B040

B039

B038

B037

B036

B035

B034

B033

B032

B031

OUTFALL ID

B030

B029

B028

B027

B026

Source: GLWA, Detroit River Outfalls Annual Frequency of Discharge (FY 2017-2018)

B025

B024

B023

B022

B021

B020

B019

B018

B017

B016

B015

B014

B013

B012

B011

B010

NO REPORTED INSTRUMENTATION ISSUES

REPORTED INSTRUMENTATION ISSUES

COMBINE

(Full Treatme

RAINFALL

(No Treatment Needed)

RAINFALL


STREET

(Some Treatm

INTERNAL DOWNSPOUT

(Possible Disconnection)

FRONT LAWN

(Some Infiltration)

STORMDRAIN

(Combines Rainwater + Street Run

122

123

RAINFALL


RUNOFF

ent Needed)

RAINFALL


D SEWER

nt Needed)

off)

FRONT LAWN

(Some Infiltration)

SCUPPER + DOWNSPOUT

(Can Be Recaptured)

INTERNAL DOWNSPOUT

(Can’t Be Disconnected)

Detroit’s Drainage Charge

According to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department:

“Federal and State regulations required DWSD to invest more than $1

billion in combined sewer overflow control (CSO) facilities to help prevent

untreated overflows into the Detroit and Rouge rivers and preserve

Detroit’s water quality. The drainage charge recovers the cost for operating

Detroit’s CSO facilities and treating wet weather flows at the wastewater

treatment plant -- $150 million annually. Since 1975, most DWSD customers

have been paying for drainage as part of their water and sewer bills.

DWSD is updating its drainage charge program to ensure all city parcels

are equitably billed for their share of drainage costs.” 32

32

City of Detroit, “Drainage Charge” 2021

124

Assessing impervious Area

125

Roofing will cause runoff

into the sewer system

Grass will be able to

slow stormwater runoff

Driveways will cause

runoff into the sewer

system

Impervious Materials: Roofing, Concrete, Asphalt

Pervious Materials: Grass, Soil. Gravel, Porous Pavers

Calculations

Step 1: To calculate the drainage charge for a parcel, multiply the amount

of hard (impervious) surface, in acres, by the rate of $602. If the amount of

impervious area is less than .02 acres, the drainage charge will not apply.

Step 2: Adjust. “Residential properties receive an automatic 25% Green

Credit on their bill based on the assumption they have redirected their

downspouts to run onto their lawn instead of directly into the sewer.”

Of the highlighted areas, only the City of Detroit has a drainage charge

program based on impervious land area. Stormwater runoff is sent to

the DWWTP with sewage. The highlighted suburbs have almost entirely

separated sewage and stormwater handling systems and do not send

stormwater to the DWWTP. The few areas with combined sewer systems

discharge to Retention Treatment Basins..

City of Detroit

$18.06 for 0.04 impervious acres (3748 gallons of runoff)

$0.0048 per gallon

Redford

No Drainage Charge

Southfield

No Drainage Charge

Livonia

No Drainage Charge

Plymouth

No Drainage Charge

Plymouth Township

No Drainage Charge

Northville

No Drainage Charge

*The average Detroit home has 0.04 impervious acres of land generating

approximately 3,748 gallons of runoff per month. 33

33

City of Detroit, “Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Drainage Charge Questions and Answers.”

126

Northville

Southfield

DWRRF

Plymouth

Plymouth

Township

Livonia Redford City of

Detroit

Interceptors

Retention Treatment Basins

DISCUSSIONS WITH DON:

DRAINAGE CHARGE POLICY

Don Carpenter is an accredited

green design professional and engineer

whose expertise includes green

infrastructure, stormwater best

management practices, hydrologic

modeling and design, community

engagement and field data collection.

He sat down to share his thoughts in

simple terms about Detroit’s drainage

policies, green solutions for

urban projects, and larger-scale GSI

implementation in Detroit.

As described in this publication,

billions of gallons of stormwater

runoffs from impervious surfaces

into the city’s combined sewer

system every year. To offset the cost

for operating Detroit’s CSO facilities

and treating wet weather flows at the

wastewater treatment plant ($150

million annually), Detroit has recently

revised its drainage charge to be

more transparent and equitable.

With regards to transparency, since

1975, most DWSD customers have

been paying for drainage as part of

their water and sewer bills, but it was

NOT explicitly shown as a line item

on the bill. Therefore, people were

paying for stormwater treatment but

without knowledge. The program has

been restructured so that the drainage

charge is now explicitly shown

on the bill along with opportunities

for “green credits.” With regards to

equity, DWSD updated its drainage

charge program to ensure all city

parcels are billed for their share of

drainage costs based on impervious

area. Previously, not every parcel

was billed fairly for stormwater drainage

since the rates were not tied

to the amount of stormwater runoff

generated by the parcel from imperviousness.

The drainage charge is

assessed at approximately $600

per impervious acre and effectively

has three components – base cost,

annual volume of flow, and peak rate

of flow. The base cost (20% of the

charge) is the amount of the drainage

charge that goes to maintain

the system at-large. The remaining

80% of the drainage charge is eligible

for removal from a customer’s

bill if they implement stormwater

runoff management practices such

as rain gardens and cisterns. The

removal, or a reduction of a portion

of the drainage charge, is referred to

as a “drainage charge credit.” Drainage

charge credits are obtained

by managing the annual volume

(40% of the drainage charge) and/

or the peak flow (40% of the drainage

charge). The annual volume

represents the typical amount of

stormwater that runoffs of a parcel

in a year that must be treated at

the Detroit WRRF. The peak flow

represents the runoff from large

storm events that occur less than

once per year on average.

If a property owner installs

green practices that keep average

annual rainfall volumes out of the

combined sewer, and thereby keep

the WRRF from treating rainwater,

they can receive up to 40% off their

bill (prorated to the annual average

runoff volume). Likewise, if a

property owner installs stormwater

management practices that manage

large rainfall event, they can receive

up to 40% off their bill (prorated to

the 100-year storm).

129

Drainage Charge

Assessment

On the water bill shown below, from a residential property in the Northend,

you will see a line with the calculated drainage charge on impervious areas

and a line with a green credit for pervious areas and any additional green

stormwater infrastructure.

130

131

The drainage charge is assessed based on three factors: base costs,

annual volume of flow, and peak flow rate. To remove or reduce a portion

of the drainage charge, property owners can install green stormwater

infrastructure that manages runoff from wet weather events.

Base Costs (20%)

Annual Volume of Flow (40%)

Peak Flow Rate (40%)

The base cost is the amount of the drainage charge the goes to maintain

the system-at-large.

The annual volume represents the typical amount of stormwater that runs

off of a parcel in a year that must be treated at the Detroit Water Resources

Recovery Facility.

The peak flow represents the runoff from large storm events that occur less

than once per year on average.

Research team: Natosha Tallman, Don Carpenter, and Liz Feltz with Tacumba

Turner, program manager at Oasis Farm and Fishery in Pittsburgh, discussing rainwater

harvesting amd aquaponic systems.

WHO’S GOT WHAT?

APPROXIMATELY

96,825 PROPERTIES

IN DETROIT ARE

OWNED BY THE

DETROIT LAND

BANK 34 AND 76,427

PROPERTIES

ARE OWNED BY

SPECULATORS. 35

34

Landgrid, “Detroit Parcel Data,” 2021

35

Property in Practice, “The Geography of Housing Speculation in Detroit.” 2021

136

137

THE DETROIT LAND BANK

AUTHORITY IS THE CITY’S

LARGEST LANDOWNER.

THEIR PROPERTY INVENTORY

CONSISTS OF VACANT LOTS,

ABANDONED HOUSES, AND

OTHER STRUCTURES. THEY DO

NOT OFTEN PERFORM WORK

ON ANY OF THE LOTS OR

STRUCTURES. THE LAND BANK

USES A VIRTUAL AUCTION TO

SELL PROPERTIES.

Map Source: Landgrid, “Detroit Parcel Data,” 2021

138

Land Bank-Owned Parcels

139

SPECULATORS CONTROL

APPROXIMATELY 20 PERCENT

OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE

CITY OF DETROIT. 36 THEY

TYPICALLY PURCHASE

PARCELS IN UNDEVELOPED

AREAS EXPECTING TO BENEFIT

FROM DEVELOPMENT AT A

LATER TIME. SPECULATION

IS OFTEN PRACTICED WITH

MINIMAL INVESTMENT IN THE

REHABILITATION OF LAND OR

STRUCTURES.

36

Property in Practice, “The Geography of Housing Speculation in Detroit.” 2021

Map Source: Property in Practice, “The Geography of Housing Speculation in Detroit.” 2021

140

Speculator-Owned Parcels

141

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY

1,500 URBAN FARMS AND

GARDENS IN DETROIT. 37 MANY

OF THESE AGRICULTURAL

OPERATIONS ARE LOCATED

ON VACANT PARCELS. THESE

FARMS AND GARDENS OFTEN

AID IN THE REHABILITATION

OF CONTAMINATED LAND,

ASSIST WITH STORMWATER

MITIGATION THROUGH THE USE

OF NATIVE PLANTS, AND SERVE

AS VALUABLE COMMUNITY

142

RESOURCES.

37

Paige Pfleger, “Detroit’s Urban Farms: Engines of Growth, Omens of Change.” 2018

Map Source: Detroitography, “Urban Agriculture in Detroit”, 2014

Urban Farms & Gardens

143

BY THE TIME DETROIT

LEGALIZED URBAN

AGRICULTURE IN 2013,

THERE WERE ALREADY

1,400 URBAN FARMS AND

GARDENS OPERATING IN THE

CITY. 38 IN ADDITION TO BEING

A VALUABLE COMMUNITY

RESOURCE, URBAN FARMERS

AND GARDENERS ARE

CONTINUING TO STEWARD

LARGE PORTIONS OF DETROIT’S

VACANT LAND.

144

RECENTLY, URBAN FARMERS

145

AND GARDENERS HAVE

STARTED TO LOOK AT

COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

MODELS TO SUPPORT AND

PROTECT THEIR COMMUNITY

SPACES FROM PREDATORY

REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.

COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS

ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR

FARM STAFF AND PROTECT

EXISTING FARMLAND.

38

Jacqueline Hand and Amanda Gregory, “The Detroit frontier: Urban agriculture in a legal vacuum.” 2017

The Detroit

Cultivator

Community

Land Trust

A community land trust is a

non-profit organization that is meant

to secure community stewardship of

an area of land. While community

land trusts are traditionally used to

ensure housing affordability, they

are also helpful in supporting urban

agriculture operations in the City

of Detroit, and beyond. A trust will

acquire land and keep ownership

over it permanently. Anyone who

wishes to occupy the structures on

the site will enter into a long-term

lease agreement. When the occupant

sells, they earn only a portion

of the increased property value and

the remaining amount can be saved

by the land trust to maintain a level

of affordability on the site. This land

ownership model helps to ensure

that residents are not displaced by

speculators and gentrification. It is

also common for at least 30% of a

land trust’s board to be members of

the community. There are approximately

225 community land trusts in

the United States today.

In collaboration with the

Detroit Justice Center, the land that

hosts the Oakland Avenue Urban

Farm’s operations and programs is

now part of the the Detroit Cultivator

Community Land Trust (DCCLT),

one of the first community land trusts

in the city. The board of the DCCLT

is comprised of a small group of

residents and community-minded

advisors.

The DCCLT was formed for the

following purposes:

1. To assist Detroit residents with

limited resources in developing

marketable skills and to provide

access to quality food and housing

2. To preserve access to food, housing,

and skill development in the the

North End community

3. To facilitate equitable inclusion

in the redevelopment of the North

End neighborhood by acquiring and

collectively maintaining land and

structures for community activity

4. To protect the natural environment

of the site and promote ecologically

sound use of land and natural

resources for the long-term health of

the neighborhood

146

147

IRRIGATION INEQUITIES

Calculating Irrigation Rates

In the City of Detroit, urban farms and gardens

must pay both a water and sewage rate for

crop irrigation despite not needing waste water

treatment services. Using the average monthy

water use of the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm,

the graphs on the following page reveal the

seasonal costs of water and sewage for the

farm if it operated within the other municipalities

surrounding Detroit. In select municipalities,

discounts on sewage charges may apply for lawn

irrigation or swimming pool filling during summer

months and separate meters for discounted

outdoor water use may be permitted.

150

Northend Christian, CD

151

Church

Requested to Set Asid

Fellow Citizen

Fellow Citizen

Requested

Private

PROJECT

DETROIT CULTIVATOR

TITLE

LOT OWNERSHIP MAP

PREPARED BY:

LIZ FELTZ

DRAWING SCALE:

N/A

FOR:

VARNUM LLP

DATE:

12.16.19

Oakland Avenue Urban Farm & Rate Calculations

About: Operating in Detroit’s North End, the farm is a non-profit, community-based

organization. It is devoted to growing healthy foods, sustainable

economies, and active cultural environments.

Size: 6 acres

Monthly Average Water Use: 50 CCF (5,000 hundred cubic feet or 37,400

Gallons of water)

Water Rate: $2.471 per CCF plus a $58.40 water service charge

Sewage Rate: $5.484 per CCF plus a $6.28 water service charge

Discounts: None

Independent Meter for Irrigation Only: Yes

Monthly Water Bill: $462.43

Seasonal Water Cost (4 months): $1,849.72

Reading Your DWSD Bill

USAGE HISTORY

The Usage History will show monthly clean water usage for the past year

in CCFs. (1CCF = 748 Gallons). The Oakland Avenue Urban Farm uses

approximately 50 CCFs every month.

WATER AND SEWER CHARGES

Both water and sewer charges are based on the 50 CCFs of potable water

used on the farm. Even if there are no structures on a farm site, meaning

no household sewage discharges into the sewer system, full sewer disposal

charges apply to the site. Due to the absence of structures or paved surfaces

in the production parcels, this bill does not include a drainage charge.

152

153

THE GREAT LAKES WATER

AUTHORITY HAS FORMED

SEPARATE AGREEMENTS

WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES

SURROUNDING DETROIT AND

SET UNIQUE WATER AND

SEWER RATES FOR EACH.

GLWA’S WEBSITE STATES THAT

THESE RATES ARE BASED ON

THE MUNICIPALITIES’ USAGE

PATTERNS ALONG WITH

ELEVATION AND DISTANCE

FROM THE WATER PLANT. SOME

COMMUNITIES ALSO OFFER

154

DUAL METER PROGRAMS;

155

ELIMINATING SEWER CHARGES

ON OUTDOOR WATER USAGE

FOR LAWN IRRIGATION AND

POOL FILLING. WE CALCULATED

THE WATER AND SEWER

COSTS FOR THE OAKLAND

AVENUE URBAN FARM IF IT

WAS LOCATED IN EACH OF

THESE MUNICIPALITIES. THEN,

WE COMPARED THESE RATES

TO THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD

INCOME OF EACH LOCATION.

2400

SPRINGWELL +

WATERWORKS +

NORTHEAST

WATERWORKS

PARK

LAKE HURON

2019 POTABLE WATER CHARGE

LAKE HURON

+

NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST

NO

SPR

DOLLARS PER SEASON DOLLARS PER SEASON DOLLARS PER SEASON

2200

2000

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

2000

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

4000

3600

3200

2800

2400

2000

1600

1200

800

CITY OF DETROIT

CITY OF DETROIT

GROSSE POINTE FARMS

GROSSE POINTE FARMS

AUBURN HILLS

AUBURN HILLS

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

ROCHESTER HILLS

ROCHESTER HILLS

WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP


SHELBY TOWNSHIP

NO CHARGE FOR IRRIGATION

SHELBY TOWNSHIP

BEVERLY HILLS

BEVERLY HILLS

LAKE ORION

LAKE ORION

CHESTERFIELD

CHESTERFIELD

TROY

TROY

ROSEVILLE

ROSEVILLE

FRASER

FRASER

BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM

ROYAL OAK

CLAWSON

EASTPOINTE

HARRISON TOWNSHIP

STERLING HEIGHTS

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON

WARREN

SAINT CLAIRE SHORES

2019 SEWAGE CHARGES (F

COMBINED WATER AND SEWAGE COST

ROYAL OAK

CLAWSON

EASTPOINTE

HARRISON TOWNSHIP

STERLING HEIGHTS


WARREN

SAINT CLAIRE SHORES

2019 TOTAL WA

400

156

0

CITY OF DETROIT

GROSSE POINTE FARMS

AUBURN HILLS

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

ROCHESTER HILLS


SHELBY TOWNSHIP

BEVERLY HILLS

LAKE ORION

CHESTERFIELD

TROY

ROSEVILLE

FRASER

BIRMINGHAM

SAINT CLAIRE SHORES

WARREN


STERLING HEIGHTS

HARRISON TOWNSHIP

EASTPOINTE

CLAWSON

ROYAL OAK

S (FACILITY LOCATIONS ON PAGE 30)

RTHEAST

+

INGWELL

SPRINGWELL

SPRINGWELL

+

SOUTHWEST

SOUTHWEST

MUNICIPALITY-OWNED

TREATMENT FACILITY

157

CLARKSTON

INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP

WHITE LAKE CHARTER TOWNSHIP

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP

NEW BALTIMORE

MILFORD

HIGHLAND PARK

ECORSE

BELLEVILLE

RIVERVIEW

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP

GIBRALTAR

HURON TOWNSHIP

FLAT ROCK

GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP

GARDEN CITY

CANTON

WAYNE

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP

LIVONIA

PLYMOUTH

REDFORD TOWNSHIP

SOUTHFIELD

NORTHVILLE

NOVI

FARMINGTON HILLS

ACILITY LOCATIONS ON PAGE 32)

NO CHARGE FOR IRRIGATION

COMBINED WATER AND SEWAGE COST

CLARKSTON



WATERFORD TOWNSHIP

NEW BALTIMORE

MILFORD

HIGHLAND PARK

ECORSE

BELLEVILLE

RIVERVIEW

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP

GIBRALTAR

HURON TOWNSHIP

FLAT ROCK

GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP

GARDEN CITY

CANTON

WAYNE

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP

LIVONIA

PLYMOUTH

REDFORD TOWNSHIP

SOUTHFIELD

NORTHVILLE

NOVI

FARMINGTON HILLS

TER BILL CHARGES

CLARKSTON



WATERFORD TOWNSHIP

NEW BALTIMORE

MILFORD

HIGHLAND PARK

ECORSE

BELLEVILLE

RIVERVIEW

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP

GIBRALTAR

HURON TOWNSHIP

FLAT ROCK

GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP

GARDEN CITY

CANTON

WAYNE

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP

LIVONIA

PLYMOUTH

REDFORD TOWNSHIP

SOUTHFIELD

NORTHVILLE

NOVI

FARMINGTON HILLS

WE

BLOOM

Farmington Hills offers a dual meter program including

a separate meter to monitor water used outside of

the house. There is no sewage charge on water used

outside of the house.

Redford Township has a 50% discount on sewage

when an irrigation meter is used.

PLYMOUTH

TOWNSHIP

NOVI

FARMINGTON

HILLS

PLYMOUTH

SOUTHFIELD

CANTON

LIVONIA

BELLEVILLE

WAYNE

GARDEN

CITY

REDFORD

TOWNSHIP

HURON

TOWNSHIP

ECORSE

FLAT

ROCK

RIVERVIEW

GIBRALTAR

BROWNSTOWN

TOWNSHIP

GROSSE ILE

TOWNSHIP

CITY OF DETROIT SEASONAL WATER & SEWAGE COST

WATER & SEWAGE COSTS HIGHER THAN DETROIT’S

WATER & SEWAGE COSTS LOWER THAN DETROIT’S

158

CITY OF DETROIT

159

Fraser offers pool credits to residents wanting to

save money on water for filling swimming pools

in the early summer months.

Sterling Heights discounts summer water

bills by up to 20% to offset irrigation costs.

CLARKSTON

INDEPENDENCE

TOWNSHIP

Shelby Township has area maintenance

meters available to reduce water bills

by not charging for sewage on irrigation

water.

ST

FIELD

BLOOMFIELD

HILLS

TOWNSHIP

ROCHESTER

HILLS

BIRMINGHAM

SHELBY

TOWNSHIP

CLAWSON

ROYAL

OAK

STERLING

HEIGHTS

WARREN

CHARTER

TOWNSHIP

OF CLINTON

FRASER

HIGHLAND

PARK

EASTPOINTE

ROSEVILLE

ST CLAIR

SHORES

GROSSE POINTE

FARMS

The map above shows which municipalities have dual-meter programs, giving them

discounts on water used for lawn irrigation and pool filling, and the amount that the

Oakland Avenue Urban Farm would pay for one season of water and sewage in each

area.

2019 WATER AND SEWAGE COST PE

4000

3600

DOLLARS PER SEASON

3200

2800

2400

2000

1600

1200

800

400

0

STERLING HEIGHTS ($63,126)

GIBRALTAR ($62,167)

FLAT ROCK ($61,691)

SAINT CLAIRE SHORES ($58,012)

RIVERVIEW ($57,442)

FRASER ($56,732)

REDFORD TOWNSHIP ($56,377)

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CLINTON ($54,587)

SOUTHFIELD ($54,428)

GARDEN CITY ($54,102)

WARREN ($47,419)

EASTPOINTE ($46,601)

BELLEVILLE ($45,223)

ROSEVILLE ($43,713)

WAYNE ($43,672)

CITY OF DETROIT ($29,481)

ECORSE ($27,241)

HIGHLAND PARK ($17,550)

<$20,000

$20,000-$40,000

$40,000-$60,000

MUNIC

(LOWEST TO HIGHEST MEDI

160

161

R SEASON VS. MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

BLOOMFIELD HILLS ($186,563)

GROSSE POINTE FARMS ($132,853)

BIRMINGHAM ($117,670)

WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP ($100,139)

GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP ($101,196)

NOVI ($92,410)

INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP ($91,747)

ROCHESTER HILLS ($90,961)

CANTON ($89,991)

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP ($83,737)

FARMINGTON HILLS ($81,203)

PLYMOUTH ($79,713)

ROYAL OAK ($78,741)

CLARKSTON ($78,426)

LIVONIA ($76,819)

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP ($74,630)

SHELBY TOWNSHIP ($74,379)

CLAWSON ($67,237)

HURON TOWNSHIP ($65,261)

$60,000-$80,000 $80,000-$100,000 $100,000-$120,000

IPALITY

AN INCOME PER HOUSEHOLD)

>$140,000

$120,000-$140,000

HYDRATION IS KEY,

HOW FARMS CAN AFFORD IT

164

Urban Agriculture

& Water

Management

In various urban watersheds,

the increased amount of impervious

surfaces (asphalt, roofing,

non-native lawn grassses, etc.)

accompanying urban development

in the Detroit metropolitan area has

led to the degradation of regional

species and lowered water quality.

As weather events intensify, more

excess stormwater runoff leads to

the entry of untreated wastewater

into nearby ecosystems. Detroit’s

vacant lots offer sites of opportunity

for the management of stormwater

and preservation of vulnerable

regional species. Urban agricultural

operations in the city are proving to

be prime examples of the ways in

which these vacant sites can transform

into environmentally conscious

cultural landscapes.

On Detroit’s vacant lots, the

open land is often planted with a mix

of lawn grass and shallow weeds,

occasionally mowed short by city

officials with the intent of beautifying

the area. These lawn plants, however

natural they might seem today, are

actually not native to Michigan at

all. Most of the grasses grown in

the Midwestern United States were

brought by European settlers in the

1700s and replaced taller-growing

grasses, such as Indian Grass, to

imitate French and English lawns.

However, the root systems of these

lawn mixes are much shallower

than those of plants native to the

area. The deep roots of wild American

grasses break up soil and allow

rainwater to infiltrate further into the

ground. Lawn grasses, by comparison,

sit only in the top few inches

of the soil, and the earth below is

compacted by years of heavy snow

and rain. The result of this are grassy

lots that still flood, unable to digest

water like Michigan’s natural deeprooted

plants would.

When agricultural operations

transform vacant lots into

food sources for the community,

the use of native crops and grasses

improve the infiltration of rainwater

into the ground, lightening the load

of major storm events in the city’s

water management systems, while

simultaneously promoting biodiversity.

The implementation of Green

Stormwater Infrastructure in Detroit’s

urban farms and gardens can have

these same productive effects while

additionally creating a place of gathering

for the residents nearby.

This chapter focuses on

several different Green Stormwater

technologies, how they can be

utilized in urban farm landscapes,

their benefits to the health of regional

ecosystems and city inhabitants, and

their cultural potential. It will also

focus on the significance of irrigation

meter use when rainwater catchment

devices are not able to fulfill all irrigation

needs.

165

Indian Grass

Pale Purple

Fox Sedge

Garden Tomato

Lawn Grass Mix

1 foot

2 feet

3 feet

4 feet

5 feet

6 feet

166

Irrigation

Meters

While many urban farms in

Rustbelt and Midwestern US cities

are able to provide for their farms

entirely with rainwater catchment

devices, Detroit farmers are more

often unable to depend solely on

collected rainfall. This is not because

of a difference in annual rainfall nor a

lack of interest and implementation;

rather, urban farms in Detroit often

have a much lower ratio of roof area

to farm area—a product of the desertion

of the city and the subsequent

demolition of buildings. There is

much more available farmland than

there are available (stable) roofs for

collecting rainwater. If there is to be a

sustainable future for urban farming

in the city not only as supplementary

food production but also as a repurposing

of otherwise unused land,

the city must develop a solution for

providing municipal water to farms.

When suburban residents

water their lawns or fill their swimming

pools, many of their communities

allow the installation of irrigation

meters for residents to save on water

costs. An irrigation meter allows the

separate measurement of water that

will not be returning to the sewer

system, which then can be charged

without including sewer rates. Sewer

rates are usually determined based

on water use; since sewers cannot

be metered directly, an irrigation

meter allows that water which will not

be reentering the sewer system to be

charged separately. Some suburbs

have alternative methods for keeping

irrigation water inexpensive; for

instance the Macomb Township

cuts sewer charges after a certain

number of water units has been

reached, Sterling Heights provides

a discount of 25% on summer water

bills, and other cities will sometimes

charge summer sewer based on an

average of winter water usage.

167

168

Dual Meter

Programs

The city of Farmington Hills

has a dual-meter program that allows

property owners to use a separate

water meter for outdoor water use

that does not accumulate sewage

charges. The description of their

program follows:

“Dual Water Meter programs typically

allow a property owner to use

a second water meter connected

for outside use only. At the option

of a property owner, this second or

dual meter can be installed to meter

water that is directed exclusively to

a sprinkler system or outside spigot/

connection such as to a swimming

pool and will not enter a sanitary

sewer. The installation of a dual

meter at the home would allow the

sewage rate to be billed only on that

amount of water that enters the sewer

system through the home. Sewage

fees would not be charged on the

water that flows through the second

meter for outside use. The fixed costs

are the 1” water meter and permit

charges ($535.00 in the city of Farmington

Hills). Plumbing charges may

vary depending upon the complexity

of the changes required to install the

second meter. Any water and sewer

customer in the city can take advantage

of this program. The customer,

however, should evaluate individual

circumstances based on use to

calculate cost effectiveness.” 39

If a similar program is created in

the City of Detroit, it would lighten

the financial load placed on urban

agriculture operations by significantly

lowering sewage charges.

This would allow urban farms and

gardens to reallocate those funds on

employment opportunities, cultural

programming, farm maintenance,

and other expenses.

39

City of Farmington Hills “Dual Meter Program” 2021

169

Rainwater

Harvesting

Harvesting systems collect


surfaces, filter it, and store it for later

use, which can help offset irrigation

water costs on urban farms. They can

be configured to fulfill a large portion

of a household’s water or landscape

irrigation needs. Some of the methods

for collecting rainwater include

smaller rain barrel systems, “dry”

systems, and “wet” systems. The rain

barrel is the most commonly used,

capable of holding water runoff from

a single downspout. “Dry” systems

are similar to the rain barrel but hold

a larger capacity of rainwater. The

collection pipe will “dry” after each

event, due to water flowing directly

down into the storage tank. “Wet”

systems are able to take water from

multiple collection locations through

underground pipes. As these underground

pipes fill, water in connecting

vertical pipes will rise and overflow

into the tank. 40

However, the ability to use

this collected water directly on crops

requires some consideration of the

impervious surfaces that the stormwater

runoff touches before entering

the storage systems. Some additional

filtration may be required,

depending on how the water will

be used, especially when irrigating

plants for consumption.

40

Chris Maxwell-Gaines, “Rainwater Harvesting 101:

Your How-To Collect Rainwater Guide.” 2020

170

171

Tensile Structural Hardware

Inflatable

Chamber

Expandable Membrane

Steel Support Structure

Covered Water

Pump

Runoff From Nearby Structure

Water Tower Design

Existing

Gutter

Water

Storage

Cross

Bracing

Lattice Plant

Substrate

Framing

Elements

Foundation

Pilings

172

Vegetated

Wall Systems

Vegetated wall systems

connect to the outside of an existing

structure. They are typically

constructed using a modular panel

system that can hold the various

types of growing media. A common

format is the “soil-on-a-shelf” building

assembly, which holds loose medium

in a storage container as part of a

larger modular logic. Growing media

can take the form of a thin mat or

thick blocks that can be manufactured

in various sizes. Some options

utilize polyurethane sheet media to

hold the growth medium, because

their water holding capacity is much

higher and they will not biodegrade

(see diagram).

These collection systems

can connect to an existing gutter, to

hold stormwater runoff and potentially

disperse it to other rainwater

173

storage systems like rain barrels

for re-use. 41 In the city of Detroit,

these wall storage structures can be

made of standard building elements,

which may include wood studs, steel

beams, aluminum piping, or other

materials—depending on available

budgets and desired effects. The

system can also be grounded with

common concrete footings if an

existing structure is not reliable. The

scale of the water mattress is contingent

on the building’s roof surface

area and climatically available rainfall.

Some form of lattice, bag, or

shelf system can be applied to hold

vegetation with shallow root systems.

Similar to a green roof, these walls

can offset solar heat gain during

summer months, promote biodiversity,

and create aesthetic interest on

a building’s facade.

41

Maria Manso and João Castro-Gomes. “Green wall

systems: A review of their characteristics.” 2015

174

Vegetated

Roof

Systems

Vegetated roof systems are

considered to be either “extensive”

or “intensive.” Intensive green roofs

have deeper layers of substrate

to support a larger variety of plant

species, and can therefore accommodate

larger root structures. This

system is more successful on newer

structures designed to handle the

weight of the system. Extensive

green roofs have shallower layers

of substrate and put less stress on

a building’s structure, making them

more suitable to hold grasses and

smaller plants. 42 An extensive system

is ideal for use on many of Detroit’s

existing structures.

The installation of a vegetated

roof system can help to slow stormwater

runoff and filter it, reducing the

burden on Detroit’s water management

systems. Slowing the entry

of stormwater into water management

systems can reduce the risk

of untreated sewage from the city

entering surrounding ecosystems. In

some cases, this water can be stored

in a rainwater harvesting device for

re-use. They can also provide shading

and reduce heat transfer through

the roof, improving climatic comfort

and lowering energy consumption. In

relation to climatic comfort, the use

of native plants can improve air quality,

add aesthetic value to the space,

and provide a refuge from urban heat

island effects.

Landscapes can be designed

using specific native vegetation to

attract birds, insects, and animals,

regenerating habitats deeply

impacted by urban development in

Detroit. When combined with other

GSI and the growth of native plants

and grasses on an urban farm landscape,

large pieces of formerly

vacant land can have an immense

impact on the preservation of native

species and the comfort of human

occupants, while simultaneously

reducing stress on the city water

management system.

42

National Park Service, “What is a Green Roof?” 2021

175

Vegetation

Green Roof Substrate

Filter Layer

Drainage Layer

Protection Mat

Waterproof Membrane +

Root Barrier

Insulation

Vegetated Roof System Layers

OVERFLOW STRUCTURE

HARDWOOD MULCH

PONDING

BIORETENTION SOIL

UNDERDRAIN WITH

UPTURNED ELBOW

AND CLEANOUT

SUBGRADE

CONVENTIONAL STORM PIPE

CONDITION 1: RAIN GARDEN SECTION IN LANDSCAPED AREA

HARDWOOD MULCH

OVERFLOW STRUCTURE

CONCRETE CURB

PAVEMENT

FREEBOARD

PONDING

BIORETENTION SOIL

UNDERDRAIN WITH

UPTURNED ELBOW

AND CLEANOUT


CONDITION 2: RAIN GARDEN SECTION IN PAVED AREA

HARDWOOD MULCH

OVERFLOW STRUCTURE

CONCRETE CURB

PAVEMENT

FREEBOARD

PONDING

BIORETENTION SOIL

UNDERGROUND

CHAMBERS


UNDERDRAIN WITH

UPTURNED ELBOW

AND CLEANOUT

176

CONDITION 3: RAIN GARDEN SECTION WITH UNDERGROUND STORAGE

Bioretention

Cells &

Bioswales

Bioretention cells (sometimes

called biocells) are landscaped

depressions that capture and filter

stormwater runoff from nearby impervious

surfaces. They can reduce the

volume of untreated runoff entering

the combined sewer system. This

practice can be used in a variety of

settings with plants that can tolerate

a moderate amount of moisture with

occasional ponding. Usually, native

plants are recommended due to their

deep root systems. The subgrade of

biocells ensures that runoff moves

down through the soil media to filter

out pollutants. The size of a bioretention

cell is dependent on the

contributing drainage area and the

imperviousness of that drainage

area.

This mitigation strategy

receives runoff from pipes, curb

cuts, or open swales. Some biocells

have an underground pipe system,

or underdrain, which can aid the

drainage of the cell. During larger

wet weather events, these underdrains

can convey runoff to another

stormwater management practice

or to the combined sewer system.

As shown in condition 3 on the left,

additional underground storage

can also be added. The soil mix

that comprises the biocell is a mix

of sand, silt, topsoil, and organic

material such as compost. During

small to medium storms, you will

see runoff flow into the bioretention

cell, collect, and drain over a period

of a few days. During larger storms,

once the biocell fills with runoff,

excess water will flow through the

overflow outlet or underdrain. The

biocell should remain dry between

storm events. 43 Overall, the multiple

biological and geological processes

occurring in these biocells can help

remove pollutants and slow stormwater

runoff, protecting the region’s

waterways.

43

C. Guicc Wallover, “Bioretention Cells: A Guide for

Your Residents.” 2015

177

WATER INLET

LINER

RHIZOME NETWORK

178

Constructed

Wetlands

Constructed wetlands can be

designed to remediate land previously

used for industrial purposes

and reclaim natural areas lost to

urban development. Even though

they are engineered systems, they

can utilize the natural functions of

vegetation, soil, and aquatic organisms

to filter wastewater (depending

on the level of contamination). The

selection of vegetation planted in

these wetlands play a major role

in the removal of contaminants, as

well as the plant bed material. If

constructed at a larger scale, they

may serve as a productive habitat for

aerial and aquatic wildlife, providing

a protective environment for migratory

species. These systems can

be used after some form of primary

treatment that removes larger particles.

The microorganisms that grow

in these wetlands are known as the

periphyton and are responsible for

most of the pollutant removal in such

constructed landscapes, while the

vegetation takes on the rest. The two

main types of constructed wetlands

are subsurface flow and surface flow

wetlands. In a subsurface construction,

wastewater flows between the

179

NATIVE AQUATIC PLANTS

WATER OUTLET

GROWING MEDIUM

root systems of the plants and the

water is kept below gravel. This can

reduce mosquitos and requires less

area to filter the water. Surface flow

wetlands appear closer to ponds and

require a larger area to purify water.

They can utilize a wide variety of

silty, claylike soils and rely on predation

from other organisms and UV

irradiation to remove pathogens.

Non-predatory aquatic

species can be added to the surface

flow systems to help eliminate pests

like mosquitoes. Plant selection for

these environments are usually indigenous

species with root structures

that can handle variation in water

and soil depth. Stormwater wetlands

have the potential to host amphibian

life, but can potentially damage

their larvae depending on the types

of pollutants being filtered. 44 Overall,

constructed wetlands can simultaneously

filter and slow the entry of

stormwater into Detroit’s combined

sewer system, preserving the vulnerable

habitats of the Great Lakes

ecoregion while recreating natural

space in the urban environment for

at-risk native species.

44

U.S. EPA, Constructed Wetlands Treatment of

Municipal Wastewaters, 2000

Permeable

Paving

Traditional paving systems

like concrete and asphalt seal a soil

surface, speeding up the discharge

of stormwater runoff into Detroit’s

water management systems and

preventing any form of natural filtration

of the water using vegetation

and soils. Some of the pollutants

entering Detroit’s combined system

from these impervious surfaces

include gasoline, motor oil, heavy

metals, and other waste. Permeable

paving systems allow the infiltration

of stormwater runoff into Detroit’s

combined sewer system in a more

dispersed manner, with added filtration

from organic material beneath.

These systems include types

of pervious concrete, paving stones,

porous asphalt, and interlocking

paver systems. Layers of soil below

the paving system can slow stormwater

runoff and trap pollutants. The

permeable surfaces are made of a

porous material that water can flow

through, or nonporous tiles with gaps

in between. Plastic grid systems

are typically more popular with

homeowners because they can be

cheaper and easier to install. Permeable

interlocking concrete pavers

can take customized forms and bear

the load of heavier traffic. In some

cases, depending on the soil type

beneath the pavement, the pavers

can increase air and water flow to

tree roots below. In the open spaces

between the pavers, micro-organisms

can grow to aid in the filtration

of stormwater runoff. Permeable

paving can help reduce flooding

during intense storm events, helping

to maintain nearby aquatic ecosystems.

45

45

U.S.G.S. Evaluating the potential benefits of

permeable pavement on the quantity and quality of

stormwater runoff, 2021

180

181

PERMEABLE

PAVER UNIT

STONE BEDDING

STONE BASE

AGGREGATE

CURRENTLY, RAINWATER

(I.E. STORMWATER

RUNOFF) IS BEING

TREATED AT THE WATER

RESOURCE RECOVERY

FACILITY AND THAT IS A

WASTE OF RESOURCES

(ENERGY, MONEY,

ETC.). HOWEVER, WHILE

STORMWATER IS NOT

“DIRTY” ENOUGH TO

182

WARRANT TREATING

183

THE SAME AS SANITARY

FLOW, IT STILL CARRIES

POLLUTANTS OFF

IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.

STORMWATER RUNOFF

FREQUENTLY CONTAINS

TRASH, BACTERIA,

NUTRIENTS, AND HEAVY

METALS.


GREEN SOLUTIONS FOR

URBAN RUNOFF

Section 502 of the Clean

Water Act defines green stormwater

infrastructure as “...the range

of measures that use plant or soil

systems, permeable pavement

or other permeable surfaces or

substrates, stormwater harvest and

reuse, or landscaping to store, infiltrate,

or evapotranspirate stormwater

and reduce flows to sewer systems

or to surface waters.”

As described previously,


areas is a major cause of water pollution

in urban areas. In Detroit, it is

most notably the cause of combined

sewer overflow events where

partially treated or untreated sewage

is released into the Rouge or Detroit

Rivers. However, even in separated

sewer areas (where the sanitary

and stormwater systems are not

combined), stormwater runoff carries

trash, bacteria, nutrients, and heavy

metals from the urban landscape and

into our natural waterways. In addition,

peak discharges resulting from

heavy rains cause flooding in urban

neighborhoods thereby damaging

stream habitat, property, and infrastructure.

Therefore, capturing and

treating stormwater runoff is important

for all urban areas and not just

those serviced by a combined sewer.

Green stormwater infrastructure

uses vegetation, enhanced soils,

water harvesting/reuse and other

elements to mimic natural processes

such as infiltration and evapotranspiration

and thereby reduces runoff.

This lessens the demand on existing

“gray” infrastructure (conventional

concrete pipes and wastewater

treatment facilities) but also creates

healthier urban environments by

improving air quality, beautifying the

neighborhood, and in the case of

urban agriculture, providing access

to fresh food and economic opportunities.

Green stormwater infrastructure

includes bioretention cells (i.e.,

rain gardens), bioswales, vegetated

roofs and walls, cisterns, permeable

pavement, and constructed

wetlands.

Another reason to integrate

green stormwater infrastructure into

urban environments is to improve

resiliency. Climate change has

caused an increase in extreme

weather events and also caused

urban temperatures to rise. Green

stormwater infrastructure is effective

at managing increased rainfall

intensities while mitigating the urban

heat island effect. Promoting the

integration of green stormwater infrastructure

in urban environments will

improve the health and welfare of

at-risk populations that are in our

urban cores.

185

ON THE GROUND:

RUSTBELT FARMS

ON THE GROUND:

CAROL TROWELL AND

NATOSHA TALLMAN

Carol Trowell is a founding member

of the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

and a long time resident of the North

End. In collaboration with the Farm’s

Chief Cultivator, Jerry Hebron, she

has been working on sustaining the

mission-driven community anchor

for over a decade. Carol was first

persuaded to join the effort through

the work of Jerry’s mother, the venerable

Reverend Bertha L. Carter of St.

John’s Evangelist Temple of Truth,

who launched the Farm’s parent

organization, the North End Christian

Community Development Corporation.

Natosha Tallman joined the

Farm in 2017 as program director.

Together, Carol and Natosha traveled

to innovative urban farms in Paris, St.

Etienne, Geneva, Pittsburgh, Cleveland

and Chicago to learn first hand

about best sustainable practices.

Jean Louis Farges:

Carol, you are one of the founders

of the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

in Detroit. How long have you been

working with Jerry and the rest of the

farm team?

Carol Trowell:

Yeah, from the onset, since 2006 or

seven. We were starting out with the

after-school programming and in the

end it evolved into a regular little plot

garden. And it has grown to be what

it is today, six acres and counting.

JLF:

Very early on, you focused on

food safety for the residents of the

neighborhood. I imagine that water

for irrigation and other growing

resources was also a challenge to

secure early on.

CT:

Yes, water was a challenge. Growing

food has always been a challenge

because, as I said, Reverend Carter

started this off... because she knew

that residents in the Northend, and

especially the children, did not always

have access to food when they got

home. She wanted to make sure

that they had at least another half

decent meal so they would not go to

bed hungry. We also had computer

access so they could do their homework

in a safe place.

JLF:

Tell us about ways you are working

to promote nutrition and healthy

eating in the community? How have

feelings about healthy food changed

in the community?

CT:

It gets so convenient for a parent or

guardian or someone to say, “okay,

we’re going to McDonald’s or we’re

going to Burger King.” There’s nothing

wrong with having that every

once in a while as a treat, but it’s

actually quite expensive. A trip to the

grocery store with a meal plan can

secure three meals for $10, whereas

that $10 lasts you one meal at a fast

food chain. Plus, fresh food tastes a

lot better. But it’s a challenge in the

Northend where there’s no grocery

store that supplies what we consider

fresh food. So, we strive to give

anybody the opportunity to access

home grown, good quality food.

189

JLF:

I also wanted to ask how this operation,

led by a group of women with

similar goals, formed and grew.

CT:

Again, I’ll go back to Reverend

Carter. It all started with her. She

saw the need in the community and

she came to us, Jerry and I, and

talked to us about the project and

it all started from there. We were

handed over the books and she

said “okay, y’all figure this out.” At

the time we were really both in real

estate and we found a new challenge

and we needed to meet it. We eventually

met Deborah Martinex from

Keep Growing Detroit who planted

the idea of starting a community

garden. Our first plot was planted

right next to the church with the help

from the kids from Youthville.

JLF:

Our studio Akoaki partnered with

you on the farm very early, eventually

traveling to visit other urban

farms in Europe and the Midwest.

What are some farms from our first

trip to Europe that were memorable

for you?

CT:

I really liked the farm we visited in

Geneva [Ferme de Budé]. It had a

store that was connected to it, and

it was about three or four acres.

It used to be connected to an old

church building, but they turned it

into a store to sell products from the

farm right there. I’ll never forget how

good the cheese was. The farm up

in the Alps, Terre Vivante, was just

amazing to me with the varieties of

fruits and vegetables that they grew.

Plus they had a building with artist

housing and a store where they sold

seeds and books on gardening.

JLF:

I remember it was very surprising.

They had a range of programming:

workshops, education and production

all mixed together.

CT:

I also appreciated the farms we

visited in St Etienne. Especially the

community garden with water meters

from the city. It was a revelation that

farmers in St Etienne pay less than

the residential water rate to grow on

small shared lots.

JLF:

The idea of having a community

garden be part of the landscape and

the architecture of the site was very

interesting because you can see the

potential to have green space contribute

to food security and public space

stewardship at the same time.

CT:

Yes. I was also impressed by the

Ferme du Rail in Paris. That site was

also very compact and efficient. They

showed that you can have a garden

almost anywhere and made out of

any material.

JLF:

Natosha, any impressions, takeaways

you would like to share from our site

visits?

190

Carol Trowell at La Fougère GAEC in Pélussin

191

192

Natosha Tallman at Oasis Farm and Fishery in Pittsburgh

Natosha Tallman:

I felt that the trips were transformational

for me. When we were in

France, it was inspiring to see that a

government could support non-profit

work so thoroughly. The US could

benefit from that approach. When we

were at La Ferme du Rail in Paris,

I appreciated that they were able to

fit so much program in such a small

space. The social housing aspect

was also very interesting.

JLF:

How does this speak to your work in

Detroit?

NT:

It definitely helps our vision as we

continue to scale up.

JLF:

Were there any farms in the Midwest

that were inspiring or shared some

similar challenges?

NT:

Braddock Farm in Pittsburgh was

also having some of the same challenges

around water management

and had a reliance on volunteerism

and grants to sustain their operations.

I was interested in Hilltop because

they were also in the process of

forming a land trust and their idea of

leasing lots for local growers seems

feasible for our operation as well.

JLF:

Right. When we were in Cleveland,

I was also really impressed with

Rid-All’s brownfield remediation

techniques because they were able

to clean up 4-5 feet of contaminated

soil with natural methods.

NT:

Yes, I was very excited about their

compost operations too... how they

remediated their soils with non-toxic

materials. What was also very impressive

to me was that they managed to

extend their growing season yearround

by packing leaves, soil, and

snow around their greenhouses to

keep the ground warm. I also really

appreciated how they used African

Spirituality in their practices.

JLF:

It seemed like their process is deeply

rooted in the community.

NT:

Yes, they were really trying to bring

value back to a community that had

been divested.

CT:

It’s an exceptional opportunity to

learn from others and their best practices.

At the Oakland Avenue Urban

Farm we hope to pay that back by

inspiring growth in our own operations

and modelling ways forward

for other cities. We are feeling very

inspired and very excited about the

future.

193

Title: Braddock Farms (affiliated with Grow Pittsburgh)

Type: Advocacy Group and Farm Network

Uses: farm production, seedling sales, education, community garden

resources, farm-to-school procurement, tool lending library

Website: growpittsburgh.org

195

Size: approx. 1 acre

Location: Pittsburgh, USA

Year: 2007

Land ownership: Rented from the county, renewed every 5 years

Community Partners: Allegheny Land Trust, Black Urban Gardeners and

Farmers of Pittsburgh, Hilltop Alliance, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council

Financial resources: Private foundations

Employees: 1 full-time

Volunteer operations: Accepts volunteers at various levels and ages

GAP Certified: Yes

Organic Growing Practices: Yes

Soil Quality: Originally compacted, clay, tested yearly

Irrigation Methods: Drip system

Water Source: Braddock Borough Water Co.

Special Water Rates: No

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Rain Garden and Native Plant Zone

196

Context: Braddock is a suburb located south-east of Pittsburgh. The town

grew with the construction of the Edgar Thomas Steel Works in 1873. Today,

it still operates as a part of the US Steel Corporation. Immigrants from Croatia,

Hungary, and Slovenia came to Braddock during the early 1900’s. As

the US steel industry collapsed in the 70s and 80s, the community was

weakened and became financially distressed. The suburb has lost 90% of

its population since 1920.

197

Approximately 30 percent of Braddock’s residents are living below the

federal poverty line. The community is about 80% people of color, who have

both found employment through the nearby industry and experienced the

detrimental effects of the manufacturing facilities on their health. This makes

it difficult to hold these companies, who have provided jobs to generations

of Pittsburgh citizens, accountable for the degradation of the community’s

health. This borough is currently a food desert. 46

About: Braddock Farms is situated along Braddock’s business corridor.

The backdrop of the farm landscape is the last remaining steel mill in the

borough. The site, originally contaminated from the long history of manufacturing

in the area, has been rehabilitated through Grow Pittsburgh’s soil

remediation efforts and vegetal growth.

On the 1-acre site, Braddock Farms has two hoop-houses, a green house, a

shipping container for packing and storing produce, and an office. The Farm

also has a farm stand in the borough. As an organization, the Farm enlists

student volunteers from nearby high schools to work on the production sites

and receive training on agricultural skills and the region’s food systems.

The Farm is preparing to negotiate with Braddock Borough Water Co. over

discounted rates on irrigation for the following reasons: the farm’s remediation

of the land, the creation of more pervious area in a heavily industrialized

region, and the non-existent need for waste water treatment on the farm.

Grow Pittsburgh, through participation in the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council,

assists other farms and growers in the area overcome hurdles around

land ownership, contaminated soils, obtaining funding, accessing tools and

materials, and increasing educational opportunities. Braddock Farms is one

of three farm locations. They have also collaborated with the Hilltop Alliance

and Bible Center Church featured in the pages ahead.

Takeway: Braddock Farms successfully overcame the stigma of growing on

post-industrial soil in close proximity to an operational steel plant.

46

Brentin Mock and David Montgomery. “Environmentalists by Necessity.” 2021

198

A view into one of the greenhouses at Braddock farms.

199

200

Braddock farms is located next to Pittsburgh’s US Steel manufacturing facility.

201

Title: Hilltop Urban Farm

Type: Farmer Incubation Program

Uses: farm production, youth education, adult farmer incubation program,

farmer’s market on and off-site, composting

Website: hilltopurbanfarm.org

203

Size: 23 acres


Year: 2013

Land ownership: Owned by Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

and Allegheny Land Trust

Community Partners: Hilltop Alliance, Penn State University, Grow Pittsburgh,

Mt. Oliver City/ St. Clair Community Group, Pittsburgh Arlington

PreK-8, New Academy Charter High School, Lighthouse Cathedral

Financial resources: Private foundations

Employees: 13 including Hilltop Alliance

Volunteer operations: Accepts volunteers at various levels and ages

GAP Certified: In progress


Soil Quality: Compacted clay soil, required heavy remediation

Irrigation Methods: watering by hand, each farmer has their own metered

tap

Water Source: Pennsylvania-American Water Company


Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Irrigation meters, plans for rainwater

collection system

204

Context: The Pittsburgh Hilltop community is divided into twelve different

neighborhoods, eleven in the City of Pittsburgh and one in Mt. Oliver, which

holds 9.5% of the City’s population. Hilltop Urban Farm is located in St.

Clair, a neighborhood located in the south end of the city and slightly east

of Mt. Oliver. Families farmed in this neighborhood and made a living selling

produce, meat, seafood, and other ethnic foods in Pittsburgh’s Strip District

in the 1920s.

205

In the 1950s, a large public housing project was constructed named St.

Clair Village that had 556 units. 47 When the steel industry declined and the

city suffered an extreme population decrease, the St. Clair neighborhood’s

agricultural businesses began to collapse, residents moved out, and the

area fell into a state of decay. This neighborhood has lost around 80% of its

population since its peak in 1960. Today, the vacancy rate today is 65% and

there are no commercial businesses operate in the neighborhood. 48

About: Set on the former site of the failed St. Clair Village housing project,

which occupied 107 acres of land, Hilltop Urban Farm is working to dedicate

23 acres of the land to youth farming and a farmer incubation programs. The

planning of the Hilltop Urban Farm site has been lead by Hilltop Alliance, a

non-profit organization working in the South Pittsburgh area, and the Mt.Oliver

- St. Clair Community Group.

Beginning in 2019, the Farmer Incubation Program at Hilltop Urban Farm

hosted a few experienced urban farmers including a composting business,

beekeepers, and a flower farm. The youth farm opened around the same

time, engaging children and teens from Mt. Oliver, St. Clair, Arlington, and

Arlington Heights. The Youth Farm operations include afterschool programs,

summer camps with Pittsburgh Public schools, paid employment opportunities

for older students to assist with youth programs and farm projects,

workshops, and some in-school activities.

The Farmer Incubation Program offers small scale farmers support over

the span of 3 years. Participants pay a fee for a parcel of rehabilitated land

on the site for their operations along with access to storage, hoop houses,

mobile coolers, and shared tools. Participants learn business management

and growing techniques. Upon successful completion, they develop

a customer base, business plan and will be prequalified to rent preserved

land with nonprofit partnering organizations. If all of the farmland at Hilltop

becomes occupied, it will quadruple the amount of produce being grown

within the City of Pittsburgh.

Takeaway: Hilltop Urban Farm models strategies to collectivize urban farming

through extended community contracted and support programming.

47

Historic Pittsburgh. “St. Clair Village.”

48

Hilltop Urban Farm. “Site History.”

206

One of the streets in the former housing project.

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Hilltop Farm currently leases a lot to a composting operation: DecoDirt.

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Title: Oasis Farm & Fishery (operated by Bible Center Church)

Type: Micro-farm

Uses: farm production, educational programs, and composting

Website: oasisfarmandfishery.org

211

Size: approximately .25 acres (smaller satellite farm located nearby)


Year: 2016

Land ownership: Yes. Bible Center Church has owned the land since

1956.

Community Partners: Business of Humanity, Grow Pittsburgh, University

of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh

Swanson School of Engineering

Financial resources: Private foundations and Everyday Cafe

Employees: 2

Volunteer operations: Accepts volunteers from nearby high schools and

the University of Pittsburgh

GAP Certified: In progress

Organic Growing Practices: No

Soil Quality: Compacted soil, currently using raised beds for outdoor

operations

Irrigation Methods: Hand-watering

Water Source: Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority


Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Various rainwater storage tanks capable

of holding up to 1,750 gallons in total

212

Context: When the Pennsylvania Railroad constructed a line with a stop in

Homewood in 1852, industrial activity increased significantly. Streetcar lines

were constructed to the neighborhood, enabling middle class residents to

escape the “dirtiness” of the industrial city. The population grew with a mix

of middle class German, Irish, Italian, and African-American families. Homewood

was also home to many of the city’s most successful black artists,

athletes, and writers such as pianist Mary Lou Williams, NBA player Chuch

Cooper, and jazz composer Billy Strayhorn.

213

A thriving working class community in the 1950s, Homewood boasted a

population of 34,000. When the City of Pittsburgh cleared the lower Hill

District for the construction of Civic Arena, the increase of African-American

residents moving to Homewood from the lower Hill District led to the flight

of white families to suburban communities. After this shift occurred in the

neighborhood demographics, two major events led to severe decreases in

population. First, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King triggered two

days of rioting, shaking the neighborhood’s business community. Second,

the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1968 with the Fair Housing Act provision,

leading to the dispersal of African American families into a wider variety of

communities in the Pittsburgh area. Today, the population is just below 6,000

people. Recently, some new homes and businesses have been constructed

by the Homewood-Brushton Revitalization and Development Corporation. 49

About: Bible Center Church purchased the site and their offices nearby

in 1956 in Homewood South. The Farm’s landscaping was completed in

2016 with heritage gardens, straw bale gardens, outdoor education spaces,

and the bio-shelter which houses their aquaponic operations and rainwater

storage mechanisms. The Farm also stewards a satellite site with composting

and additional planting beds. Everyday Cafe, a Farm-run restaurant

and coffee shop walking distance from the productive landscape, is owned

and operated by Bible Center Church. Featuring farm-fresh produce on its

seasonal menu, the Cafe helps to economically sustain the Farm’s activities

while also providing compost for growing. It also helps financially support

their farm’s operations and provides compost material.

Oasis Farm and Fishery provides education programming to children

and adults on stormwater management, healthy and sustainable lifestyle

choices, aquaponic farming practices, and entrepreneurial skills. Housed

in a bio-shelter that is able to collect rainwater from the building’s roof, the

Farm has an aquaponic growing system and a rainwater storage tank. The

outdoor education spaces use solar panels to lower energy costs. Overall,

the farm is currently working toward increased autonomy through the use of

renewable energy sources and rainwater catchment on their sites.

Takeway: Strong partnerships with a full ecosystem of non-profits, academic

institutions, and design and engineering professionals ensure a holistic

approach to planning and implementation on site.

49

Homewood Community Development Collaborative. “Homewood’s History.” 2021

214

Oasis’ Farm Manager gave the Detroit Cultivator team a tour of their aquaponic

growing system and outdoor production areas.

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Title: Rid-All Green Partnership

Type: Urban Farm

Uses: farm production, aquaponics fishery, educational programs,

composting, culinary kitchen, restaurant and farmer’s market

Website: greennghetto.org

219

Size: 1.5 acres (part of Cleveland’s 26-acres agricultural innovation zone)

Location: Cleveland, USA

Year: 2009

Land ownership: Owned by Rid-All Founders

Community Partners: Cleveland Food Bank, Buckeye Area Development

Corp, Environemental Health Watch, Central State University, Growing

Power Inc, Ohio State University, West Creek Conservancy, the City of

Cleveland, Burten, Bell, Carr Development Corporation

Financial resources: private foundations

Volunteer operations: yes, youth education programs and adult volunteers

GAP Certified: Yes


Soil Quality: require heavy remediation

Irrigation Methods: hand-watering

Water Source: Cleveland Water Department


Green Stormwater Infrastructure: rainwater collection devices, retention

pond

220

Context: The Kinsman neighborhood was originally part of Newburgh Township,

formerly south of Cleveland. Settled in the 1800s due to the area’s

fertile soils, the area was connected to Cleveland by the 1850s, bringing a

serge of industrial production via railroad and coach road. By the end of the

Civil War in 1865, there were approximately 30 oil refineries and 14 steel

mills operating in the Newburgh area.

221

In the 1920s, Kinsman experienced a large influx of Jewish people relocating

from Cleveland’s city center, bringing notable union and socialist organizers

to the area. African Americans moving North as part of the Great Migration,

and fleeing the racist impacts of urban renewal projects, moved to Kinsman

at around the same time. From the 1950-1980 industrial jobs began

to dry up, and the population declined. New housing initiatives sprung up,

as public criticisms against Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority for

racialized spatial practices grew ever more charged. Today, population loss

along with economic marginalization and other inadmissible social impacts

continue: High rates of incarceration and unemployment (almost 30%) as

well as poor health are just a few of the indicators. One of the responses to

these issues includes a 28-acre “Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone” that

aims to transform vacant land into sites of food production in the neighborhood.

50

About: In 2011, three childhood friends returned to the Clevland area and

began cleaning up about two acres of vacant land through extensive soil

remediation. Keymah Durden, Randy McShepard and Damien Forshe

founded the Rid-All Green Partnership, one of the most successful and

profitable urban farming ventures in the Cleveland area with a focus on

neighborhood engagement. They have built two greenhouses, four hoop

houses, and a 40,000 sq. ft. aquaponics fishery. Rid-All also uses produce

discarded by local businesses and food banks in their composting operations,

producing soil for their growing operations.

Rid-All Green Partnership provides education to youth and adults on environmental

sustainability, food production, and nutrition. Their Youth Education

Program produces a Brink City comic book series on environmental stewardship

and social justice. In Spring 2021, the Rid-All campus will open a

new building that will host a culinary kitchen, farmers market, and restaurant

facility. It will also serve as classroom and community space for those interested

in learning about veganism, vegetarianism, and other healthy food

options.

Takeaway: Rid-All Green Partnership is fully integrated into the life of the

community and committed to incubating agriculture-related small business.

50

Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. “KINSMAN (NEIGHBORHOOD).” 2020

222

Don Carpenter, Mark White (Rid-All co-founder), Jean Louis Farges, and Natosha

Tallman viewing Rid-All’s aquaponic zone.

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The Detroit Cultivator team toured Rid-All’s multiple greenhouse spaces, composting

areas, and new community center (currently under construction).

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Title: Farm on Ogden (affiliated with Windy City Harvest)

Type: Urban Farm and Grocery Store

Uses: farm production, aquaponics, education programs, job training

programs, grocery store

Website: chicagobotanic.org/urbanagriculture/farm_on_ogden

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Size: approx. 2 acres

Location: Chicago, USA

Year: 2018

Land ownership: Owned by Chicago Botanic Garden

Community Partners: University of Chicago Dining, Brinshore-Michaels

Development, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Chicago Department of Family

and Support Services, Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago,

Daley College/Arturo Velasquez Institute, Cook County Commissioners,

Forest Preserves of Cook County, Hilton Chicago, Industrial Council of

Nearwest Chicago, Lake County Health Department, Lawndale Christian

Health Center, Liberty Prairie Foundation, McCormick Place, Midwest

Foods, NeighborSpace, Preservation Foundation of the Lake County

Forest Preserves, Proviso Partners for Health, Roots of Success, Sodexo

Financial resources: National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Food Insecurity

Nutrition Incentives program, Chicago Department of Family and

Support Services, Private Foundations

Employees: Windy City Harvest has 30-40 transitional jobs, 12-week

urban farming apprenticeships for college students, and 80-90 teen Youth

Farm jobs amongst all operations

Volunteer operations: Adult and Youth

GAP Certified: Yes


Soil Quality: Good

Irrigation Methods: hand-watering outdoors, aquaponic system indoors

Water Source: Chicago Department of Water Management


Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Rainwater Harvesting Devices

230

Context: North Lawndale became part of the City of Chicago in 1889 and

several industries developed in the neighborhood, including the Sears,

Roebuck & Co. facilities. By 1930, with 112,000 residents, North Lawndale

was home to the best known Jewish commercial street in Chicago.

1950s white flight sponsored an uptick in African American resettlements,

and the population eventually reached its highest point: 125,000 resident in

all. Despite the influx, no additional housing was built to ease overcrowding.

Tensions arose between white commuters to Lawndale’s industries and

Black residents looking for work in the area. In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr.

picked North Lawndale as a base for the northern civil rights movement.

Riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the closure

of industrial operations prompted population loss and housing deterioration.

Investment activity in the neighborhood picked back up in the 1990s with a

renewed interest in the area’s close knit blocks, parks, low congestion, and

affordable housing stock. 51

231

About: Windy City Harvest is the Chicago Botanic Garden’s education and

jobs-training initiative launched to help build a local food system, healthier

Chicago communities, and a greener economy. Windy City Harvest

grows more than 180,000 pounds of produce per year across 15 farm sites,

provides paid on-the-job training for over 200 people and places program

participants in food system related jobs. Windy City Harvest operates the

Farm on Ogden.

With a 50,000 gallon aquaponics system, a greenhouse, a commercial

and teaching kitchen, a gathering space for workshops, and a year-round

indoor market, the Farm on Ogden is a multiuse facility located in Chicago’s

Lawndale neighborhood that supports and sustains a healthy community by

bringing food, health, and jobs together in one location. The market offers

fresh, affordable food prioritizing produce that is locally grown by program

participants and graduates. The Farm on Ogden also hosts a variety of

courses about aquaponics and sustainable farming and offers a VeggieRx

program: a cooperative effort with the Chicago Botanic Garden, Lawndale

Christian Health Center (LCHC) and the University of Illinois-Chicago’s

Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion (CPHP) to help food insecure

patients with diet-related illnesses. The VeggieRx produce packages are

prescribed by LCHC providers to patients along with weekly nutrition education

and cooking lessons from CPHP.

Takeaway: This city-sponsored program, managed through Chicago’s

Botanical Gardens, offers small and large scale farming opportunities that

reach a range of participants across neighborhoods.

51

Amanda Seligman. “North Lawndale.” 2005

232

The Farm on Ogden’s aquaponic growing beds

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In their market space, the Farm on Ogden sells a portion of the produce grown

on-site and hosts classes.

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ON THE GROUND:

FRENCH EXCHANGE

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Invited to participated in the 2017 St Etienne Biennale by Akoaki, the Detroit

Cultivator Team met with local urban farmers, community garderners and

landscape architects to discuss pressing challenges in equitable food production.

What they discovered were a great number of similarities related post-industrial

urban contexts, challenges of economic sustainability, and aspirations toward

cultural autonomy.

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Title: Moulinage des Rivières

Type: Cultural Center

Uses: Garden, Artist Workshops, Exhibition Space, Residential Areas

Website: moulinagedesrivieres.com

251


Location: Pélussin, France

Year: 2012 (renovation planning begins)

Community Partners: La commune de Pélussin, La communauté de

communes du Pilat Rhodanien, Le Conseil régional / Contrat de Développement

Durable de Rhône-Pluriel, Tissages Coupat, , Soiries Vincent,

Tissages Oriol, Moulinages Barou, Fabien Thomas, Sambala et Baobab,

Claude Ricci, ESAA La Martinière Diderot, Peggy Rotheval, Adeline Avril,

Denis Choron, Philippe et Véronique Grenier, Visages de notre Pilat, Des

amis et des livres, Terres des mots, Métiers d’Art du Pilat, Trame de soi,

Un brin de soi, Compagnie L’Atecheus - La BatYsse, Maison des tresses

et lacets

Financial resources: City of Pélussin, Private Funding

252

Context: The Pilat valley was home to the silk industry for several centuries.

Moulinage (yarn manufacturing) and weaving have dominated the economy

and architecture of Pélussin. Today, 15 textile companies still operate in the

region, with distinct artisanal legacy in weaving, trimming, and embroidery.

The Moulinage des Rivières was built near the town center, just below the

Pélussin Viaduct infrastructure built during the first world war. 52

253

In 2012, two associations undertook a project focusing on the memory of

the textile industry in the region. They created an exhibition with the help

of local libraries called Silk Road. The exhibit generated renewed interest

in the area, sponsoring an uptick in local tourism and media attention. The

Moulinage des Rivières association stemmed out of these efforts with the

intention to buy and rehabilitate the Gabert Mill for cultural activities. This

association now brings together heritage enthusiasts, Pélussin residents,

and artists.

About: The Association du Moulinage des Rivières is currently working on

purchasing the Gabert Factory, adjoining housing, and terraced gardens

with the aim of transforming the cluster of buildings into a cultural center and

equitable housing development in the defunct factory. This efforts seeks to

create employment opportunities, workshops and offices will be created in

the factory. Working cooperatively to pool skills and resources, the association’s

participants aim to align programming with the site’s textile production

history and launch the “Textile Art and Expression Center,” a documentary

center, an artist’s residence, and training around textile fabrication that will

activate the center year round.

Sustainable practices go hand in hand with cultural activation at the Gabert

Factory site. Planning is in progress to create a botanical path on the site,

educational activities around water management and production of hydraulic

electricity, a strategy to protect biodiversity, promote alternate modes of

transport to the site, and rehabilitate the terraced gardens with cultivation

methods appropriate for the context. Temporary and permanent housing will

also be developed in the adjoining factory.

Takeway: Urban farming serves as a preservation strategy to reactivate

post-industrial landscapes collectively conceived as patrimony.

52

Pélussin: Cœur du Pilat. “Histoire.” 2021

254

One of the galleries and program spaces at the Moulinage des Rivières.

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The Detroit Cultivator team tours the site of the Moulinage des Rivières.

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Title: La Fougère Gaec

Type: Farm

Uses: Dairy Farm, Butcher

261


Location: Pélussin, France

Year: 1974

Land ownership: Groupement Agricole d’Exploitation en Commun

Community Partners: La Ferme du Pilat,

Financial resources: Farm sales, foundations

Employees: 4 managing partners


Soil Quality: Good

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: unknown

262

Context: Near the Moulinage des Rivières, this farm operation is located

in Pélussin as part of the larger Pilat Regional Natural Park. This farm is

a GAEC or a groupement agricole d’exploitation en commun (agricultural

group of joint operations) which operates under a cooperative ownership

model. The first GAEC was formed in 1965 in the Vosges mountains as a

project between 4 partnering farmers.

263

The process of starting a GAEC is similar to the process of forming a

corporation in the United States. Partners in a GAEC have the obligation

to participate in trades associated with land stewardship and they receive

a share of the farm’s profits in return. This system is ideal for farms located

in close proximity to one another that can benefit from a shared pool of

resources. 53

About: La Fougère GAEC was formed by three young farmers, Jean-

Louis Eparvier, Joël Eparvier and Sylvain Berland working in Le Priel, in

Pélussin. Other farms in the area sell their products, including the nearby

Ferme du Pilat. They have about thirty cows and a little over two hundred

pigs. Their operation is extensive, utilizing vast expanses of their 220

acres property.

The association owns and manages additional plots in the municipalities

of Doizieux, Pélussin, Roisey and Bessey where they manage grassland

ecologies and work to maintain biodiversity in the region. The operation

is fully autonomous, selling and consuming only what they produce at the

farm. Dairy products are produced organically and animals are cared for

using natural methods.

Takeaway: To combat the destructive impact of large-scale supermarket

chains, the project designs an autonomous, ecologically-salient, economically

sustainable closed loop system that grows, distributes, and sells

produce at the regional scale.

53

Bina Agarwal and Bruno Dorin. “ Group farming in France: Why do some regions have more cooperative

ventures than others?.” 2019

264

View from La Fougère GAEC

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The Detroit Cultivator team touring the dairy farm’s faciltiies.

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Title: Centre écologique Terre vivante

Type: Ecological Village

Uses: Market Gardening, Bee Keeping, Livestock, Education Programs,

Business Seminars

Website: terrevivante.org

271


Location: Mens, France

Year: 1994

Land ownership: Owned by Terre Vivante

Community Partners: The Terre Vivante Network works with hundreds of

small farms, gardens, markets, builders, urbanists, and more.

Employees: 30

Volunteer operations: Yes


Soil Quality: Good


272

Context: The village of Mens is located in the department of Isère and has

a population of just under 2,000 people. With a long-standing commitment

to environmentalism, Isère is a recognized pioneer in environmental policies

and the restoration of biological corridors in the region. 54 In 1994, French

publishing company Terre Vivante created a center for ecological training

and experimentation on a large estate in Mens.

273

About: For 25 years, Terre Vivante has used their ecological center as a site

for experimentation in organic gardening, tourism, and public programming.

Since their first publication of Les 4 Saisons du Jardin Bio in 1980, Terre

Vivante has established an Ecological Center and a biomimicry research

laboratory. In Mens, their center offers training courses on organic growing

practices, orchards, bee keeping, and cooking.

Terre Vivante’s education gardens offer spaces for composting and vermiculture

workshops along with small “insect hotels” and an organic henhouse.

The site also has an aquaponic vegetable garden and small educational

aquarium. As a part of their Living Earth Biotope Project, Terre Vivante will

be hosting a variety of experiments focusing on bio-energies, bio-materials,

and bioremediation. In partnership with several organizations, the center

plans to provide housing for researchers, engineers, farmers, designers,

and artists along with hosting public discovery workshops and seminars.

Takeway: The project’s operations are based entirely on educational

programming and ecological experimentation, suggesting that the cultural

and instructional capacities of growing are more meaningful that the

economic gage of productivity.

54

Department of Isère. “ENVIRONMENT & WATER.”

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The team toured the walking paths, ponds, and production spaces at Terre Vivante’s

ecological campus.

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Title: Ferme de Budé

Type: Urban Farm

Uses: Agriculture, Livestock, Bee Keeping, Composting, Education, Farmer’s

Market & Grocery Store

Website: ferme-de-bude.ch

281

Size: 1.2 acres

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Year: 2009

Land ownership: Association des Marchés de Genève

Community Partners: Friends of the Ferme de Budé, L’école à la Ferme

Employees: approx. 10 part-time





282

Context: Home to an urban farm, a primary school, and a housing project,

the Parc de Budé is located in the Petit-Saconnex area of Geneva, Switzerland.

The Budé mansion dates back to 1770, when it was completed

along with its landscape, agricultural plots, and stables. The Budé estate

was acquired in 1957 by the state and a set of four multi-family residential

buildings along with a luxury hotel were constructed five years later. The

project was led by Swiss architect Georges Addor, who designed many

other “residential cities” within Geneva in the 60s. The objective was to

provide collective worker housing that allowed inhabitants to cultivate part

of a shared agricultural landscape in the park. 55

283

Though the agricultural zone in the park has reduced in size significantly

since the 19th century, the Department of Agriculture and Department of

Nature and Landscapes have been able to help preserve a small production

space in the center of the park. In 1961, the farm manager of the estate

founded the Geneva Markets Association, an organization that oversees

one of the first farmers’ markets in the city. When the Geneva Markets Association

was awarded the lease to Julien Chavaz and Léo Zulauf in 2009, the

partners founded the Ferme de Budé. 56

About: The Ferme de Budé aims to provide the city-dweller access to

fresh foods by maintaining a link with agricultural trades. Since acquiring

the gardens in 2009, the farms has cultivated about an acre of land on

permanent beds. 35 varieties of vegetable grow on this small farm, where

Julien and Léo also run a composting operation. In 2015, they welcomed

sheep to help maintain the landscape and later introduced chickens for

the sale of eggs. There is also a micro-market on the property that sells

produce from the gardens and other products from other local organic

farms.

Takeaway: Despite the high real estate values in the Petit-Saconnex

area of Geneva, the Ferme de Budé has managed to integrate an urban

farm within a residential apartment complex by underscoring the value of

healthy, locally grown, organic produce.

55

Franz Graf, Mélanie Delaune Perrin, and Giulia Marino. L’oeuvre de Georges Addor (1920-1982)-Inventaire,

Evaluation qualitative, Recommandations. 2013

56

Ferme de Budé. “Ferme De Budé: Histoire.”

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Staff at the Parc de Budé guided the team around the gardens and farmer’s market,

offering samples of their products (all produced on-site).

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Title: La Ferme du Rail

Type: closed network social enterprise

Uses: farm, restaurant, housing, aqua, compost

Website: fermedurail.org

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Size: 0.11 acres

Location: Paris, France

Year: currently under construction

Land ownership: Municipality of Paris

Community Partners: grand huit, Travail et Vie, Bail Pour Tous, atoll 75,

Réinventer Paris

Financial resources: private foundations, government support

Employees: Varies depending on number of residents



Soil Quality: required severe soil remediation

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: rainwater harvesting basins, aquaponics,

roof gardens and green walls

290

Context: La Ferme du Rail is located on a formerly abandoned parcel of land

along the Petite Ceinture in Paris’ 19th arrondissement. The Petite Ceinture,

a railway that transferred supplies to all of the major rail stations around

Paris, has been the site for various redevelopment projects around the city. 57

In recent years, young residents have moved to the 19th arrondissement

from central Paris in search of more affordable housing options, making

gentrification a growing issue in the area.

291

About: La Ferme du Rail is operated by a team of architects, landscapers,

social employment enterprises, social workers, and housing associations.

They also partner with the Municipality of Paris with the goal of providing

affordable housing, sharing knowledge and stewarding productive landscapes.

Ferme du Rail plans to provide housing for 15 homeless people

and 5 students studying horticulture. Participating students will learn about

urban agriculture practices and land rehabilitation for one year. With extensive

soil remediation now complete on the site, the team has prepared the

landscape for productive uses and educational programming. The farm will

also plan to integrate aquaponics into its growing strategy.

The team hopes to generate revenue by selling services such as green

area maintenance and compost collection. A nearby restaurant will source

all of its ingredients from the farm and sell prepared foods to the public at

affordable prices.

Employment at the farm is conceived through self-guided engagement,

where participants determine the scale and scope of their workload, including

the location of their efforts and activities.

The Municipality of Paris transfered rights to the site for a relatively low

rental fee to the team. La Ferme du Rail has been launched with support

from a variety of social housing and urban agriculture-oriented organizations,

which have helped fund the construction phase of the project. The

structure utilizes high-performance straw-bale insulation to reduce primary

energy needs and more than 90% bio-sourced or refurbished materials.

Some rainwater filtration and storage equipment on the site includes rainwater

harvesting basins, aquaponics, roof gardens and green walls. The

market gardening operations on the site include vegetable patches, aquaponic

gardens, bag cultivation on the green roofs, an orchard, a greenhouse

for seedling preparation, and a mushroom farm.

Takeway: A public private partnership developed la Ferme du Rail as a

closed network that manages issues of ecology and sustainability, while

addressing the social and economic needs of houseless people in Paris

with self-awareness and dignity.

57

Atlas Obscura. “Petite Ceinture.” 2010

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Carol and Natosha viewing construction progress and composting machiney at the

Ferme du Rail.

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Housing construction in progress at the Ferme du Rail

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Title: La REcylerie

Type: Urban Farm, Restaurant, Workshop

Uses: Agriculture, Tool Library, Repair Shop, Cafe, Composting,

Beekeeping

Website: larecyclerie.com

299

Size: 0.6 acres

Location: Paris, France

Year: 2019

Land ownership: Land is leased to REcylerie owners but remains

property of the train company

Community Partners: Veolia, Service Civique, Werner & Mertz

Professional, Fondation Groupe RATP, CityBzz, Magalli

Employees: 12



Soil Quality: Good, Uses raised planters

Irrigation Methods: Hand-watering

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: rainwater collection

300

Context: La REcylerie is located in a former train station that hovers over

the abandoned Petite Ceinture, a railway that operated in Paris from 1862 to

1934. The railway provided supplies to the city’s fortification walls and transported

goods and passengers between the major rail stations around Paris.

It eventually became the city’s first metro-like transport. Once Paris’ Metro

was constructed in the early 1900s, use of the Petite Ceinture declined

steadily until its closing in 1934. Since the 1980s, sections of the railway

infrastructure have been renovated for the RER passenger train and some

of the stations have been adapted for commercial use. 58 The REclylerie

is located on the Petite Ceinture near Porte de Clignancourt, in the 18th

arrondissement.

301

About: This urban farm and cafe aims to introduce biodiverse landscapes

to a dense district of the city and educate visitors about eco-responsibility

through participation. The farm offers locally grown food and utilizes waste

from the cafe to fertilize vegetation. The projects promotes a “reduce, reuse,

recycle” mantra in every area of its operation, even using refurbished furniture

and building materials in its cafe and event spaces. The cafe hosts

workshops and classes on cooking and DIY food production. There is a

mini-farm with chickens, goats, and beehives fed with leftover products from

the kitchen. Two ponds also assist with vegetable garden irrigation.

Aside from food production, La REcyleries offers repair services for small

household items and furniture, occasionally hosting events where visitors

can trade items or tools. L’Atelier de René, or René’s workshop, offers

eco-cultural programs where participants can experiment with urban agriculture

and learn how to reduce their own consumption. Larger events

hosted at the REcyclerie include yoga classes, relaxation workshops, and

concerts. Space is available for rent to host private events.

Takeaway: La REcylerie, a linear garden and urban scenography, transforms

the quai of a defunct rail into a informal and aesthetically alluring

social space, that serves as a public reminder to reduce human consumption

across sectors.

58

Atlas Obscura. “Petite Ceinture.” 2010

302

La REcylerie’s cafe space and gardens include shared tool libaries, composting

areas, bee keeping and production spaces.

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Title: Grand Parc de Saint Ouen

Type: Urban Farm & Public Park

Uses: Urban Gardening, Skate Park, Playground, Athletic Courts, Event

Space, Cafe

Website: saint-ouen.fr/services-infos-pratiques/environnement-et-espaces-verts/118-le-grand-parc.html

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Size: 29.5 acres

Location: Saint-Ouen, France

Year: 2013

Land ownership: Government of Saint Ouen

Community Partners: Le Rucher Audonien and fifteen other associations

utilizing the shared gardens and greenhouse


Soil Quality: required remediation

Irrigation Methods: hand watering in production spaces

Water Source: water for irrigation comes from on-site reservoirs

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: constructed wetlands, rain gardens

314

Context: The Park at the Docks is located just outside of Paris in the

suburb of Saint Ouen. The neighborhood has an extensive industrial past

and is currently trying to shift its economic base away from manufacturing.

When transport was improved in the 19th century, Saint Ouen and

surrounding communities became increasingly industrialized. From 1920

to 1980, dominated by the French Communist Party, the area became

known as “The Red Belt.” The communist party’s diminution on the

national political stage contributed to the areas ongoing socio-economic

decline. Economic crises in the 70s and 80s added to the urban wreckage.

59 Today, some of the industrial remnants are still visible and the

suburb is home to immigrants from over 140 nations. Due to the emphasis

that communism placed on affordable working class housing, the “Red

Belt” region has a higher concentration of large collective housing projects.

315

About: The Park at the Docks aims to generate a new collective space

for the diverse residents of Saint Ouen while rehabilitating the industrial

landscape for flood control and biodiversity conservation. The park territory

contains a balance between public gardens and natural spaces that

are not accessible to people. The natural zones, meadows or ditches, are

visible from the occupiable areas and are designed to retain rainwater

during wet weather events. The park serves as one large hydraulic system

that filters rainwater, highway runoff, and Seine floodwaters for use in

its productive landscapes. The ponds and filtering zones contain a wide

range of vegetation, birds, and insects.

The park also has an educational greenhouse that is linked to the outdoor

gardens. Here, gardeners can hold meetings, classes, and events with an

accompanying kitchen area. Associations that use the productive areas

were present on the site before the Paris-based landscape architecture

studio, Agence Ter, began designing the project. For recreation, there is

also a large skate park, an urban amphitheater, and three playground areas

on the site. This ecological micro-district aims to become a focal point within

a reemerging neighborhood that combines environmental technologies,

urban agriculture, and public recreation spaces.

Takeway: This large scale park and urban farm doubles as visible green

stormwater management infrastructure to treat runoff from all hardscapes

and architectural surfaces on the site and the adjacent district.

59

Michael P. Hanagan. “The Working People of Paris.”

316

A view of the housing projects surround the park.

317

318

The team learns about the site’s Green Stormwater systems with Olivier Philipe,

principal of Agence Ter.

319

320

The site’s greenhouse and education center hosts a communal kitchen.

321

Title: Les Hortillonnages

Type: Floating Gardens

Uses: farm production, yearly farmers market

Website: hortillonnages-amiens.fr

323

Size: 750 acres

Location: Amiens, France

Year: approx. 1300s

Land ownership: protected by the Association for the Protection of Safeguarding

of the Hortillonnages

Employees: 10 hortillons

Volunteer operations: N/A


Soil Quality: Good, natural fertilizers from the waterway ecosystems



324

Context: Amiens is a city in Northern France at the stem of the River

Somme. The city developed a narrow portion of the river where the hortillonnages,

or floating gardens, are located. The hortillonnages, cultivated

for approximately 700 years, are shaped largely from the extraction of peat

for fuel. Due to other urban expansion efforts in Amiens, the activity in the

gardens has sharply declined in the past hundred years. 60 In 1975, the

Association for the Protection of Safeguarding of the Hortillonnages Site

and Environment was formed. By 1991, it was recognized as a public utility

and and began offering tours. The hortillonnages also extend across four

other communities: Camon, Lamotte-Brebière, Longueau, and Rivery.

325

About: The people who cultivate fruits and vegetables in the hortillonnages

gardens are called the “hortillons.” Today, there are approximately ten active

farms and gardens. After Amiens channeled the waterways to create the

hortillonnages, market gardening became popular in the region. By using

a fertilization process that involves drying and spreading mud from the

canals into the gardens, and taking advantage of the region’s consistently

humid climate, the hortillons create favorable growing conditions that have

sustained agricultural activity for centuries. Today, the land is fertile enough

that the market gardeners are able to work without the use of any extra fertilizers.

This was the earliest appearance of “organic” or non-toxic growing

practices. Despite the decline in market gardening over the past century,

expanding interest in organic foods has prompted a renewed focus on the

hortillonnages.

Takeaway: Amiens’ hortillonnages illustrate the long and enduring historical

linear of agriculture as an urban morphology.

60

Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey, “In France, Farmers Still Tend Age-Old Island Gardens.” 2020

326

A view of some of the plots along the Hortillonages.

327

328

329

Title: La Ferme Biologique

Type: Permaculture Farm

Uses: Agriculture, Permaculture Education, Farmer’s Market

Website: fermedubec.com

331

Size: 49 acres

Location: Le Bec Hellouin, France

Year: 2004

Land ownership: Owned by Farm

Community Partners: Fondation de France, Fondation Lemarchand,

Lunt Foundation, Fondation Picard, Terra Symbiosis, BALT, Fondation Iris,

Fondation Daniel & Nina Carasson, Fondation Ardian, Mairie De Paris, 1

Heart 1 Tree, bpifrance, Region Normandie

Employees: 2



Soil Quality: Good

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: rainwater collection

332

Context: Le Bec-Hellouin is a commune and village located in the Normandy

region of France. Located in a rural setting 1 km from the village center, Le

Bec-Hellouin Farm deploys many permacultural and market garden traditions

popularized in 19th century Paris. These techniques enabled small

spaces around Paris’ inner city to yield large quantities of produce year

round. Translated to the Bec Valley, which since the Neolithic period have

not been cultivated due to extremely shallow soil layers, the applied permacultural

methods have demonstrated that productive agricultural zones can

be creates despite geological challenges. According to Charles Hervé-

Gruyer, one of the farm’s founders, permaculture growing techniques were

perfected in Versailles, developed in the United States, and then returned to

France where they were implemented at La Ferme Biologique in the early

2000s. The overall goal of permaculture practices is to create a self-sustaining

ecosystem for the vegetation that does not rely on outside intervention

from synthetic fertilizers, fossil fuel reliant machinery, or any other growing

method that relies on the overexploitation of natural resources. 61

333

About: La Ferme Biologique du Bec Hellouin was founded in 2004 by

Perrine and Charles Hervé-Gruyer. Their operation started as a large family

kitchen and garden that aimed to become self-sufficient in food production.

It has evolved into a showcase of permaculture concepts and organic farming

practices. To the West, there is a “forest-garden” that grows fruit from

different regions of the world and creates a shelter from the winds, allowing

surrounding gardens to benefit from the micro-climate. Small pastures

create space for ethical animal husbandry. The variety of small environments

at La Ferme Biologique have created a successful agro-ecosystem

that is more resilient in the face of climate change and natural disasters.

To collect rainwater, the farm utilized the slope of the land and created a

network of small ponds to retain water for use during the dry season.

Takeaway: Le Ferme Biologique du Bec Hellouin operated as a research

and development site that share best practices through public programming,

publication, and accessible documentation.

61

Hervé-Gruyer, Charles. “PERMACULTURE AND BIO-INTENSIVE MICROAGRICULTURE: THE BEC

HELLOUIN FARM MODEL.”

334

Permaculture practices have allowed the farm to produce a large variety of fruits

and vegetables with minimal outside intervention.

335

336

337

338

339

BIGGER PICTURE


SCALING UP

As underscored in this book,

it is important to manage stormwater

to reduce the burden on the

combined sewer system. However,

to reduce combined sewer overflows,

it is necessary to analyze the

system at the sewershed level and

not the parcel level. A “sewershed”

is similar to a watershed in that it has

a common outlet point (in this case

a combined sewer outlet) for all rain

that falls on the landscape. Oakland

Avenue Urban Farm, for example, is

located in the Brush Street sewershed

which experiences six to ten

combined sewer overflow events

per year at its Detroit River outlet.

Other adjacent sewersheds might

experience no overflow events in a

typical year. Therefore, if the goal is

keeping combined sewage out of the

Detroit River, it would be important

to scale up green stormwater infrastructure

and urban agriculture in

certain areas of the city that experience

overflows – such as the Brush

Street sewershed.

Using the Detroit Stormwater

Hub as our source of information,

as of December 2020 there were

28 bioretention projects in the City

of Detroit that manage 5.5 million

gallons of stormwater annually.

Individually, these are all valuable

projects both for the residents who

implemented them and for the

combined sewer system, but likely

do not reduce the number of overflow

events due to the scattered

locations. By focusing green stormwater

infrastructure along the Brush

Street, combined sewer overflow

events could be eliminated from this

sewershed.

343

28 TOTAL BIORETENTION

PROJECTS EXIST IN THE

CITY OF DETROIT

THEY COLLECTIVELY

MANAGE 29.7 ACRES OF

LAND

5.5 MILLION GALLONS OF

WATER ARE MANAGED

ANNUALLY 62

62

Detroit Stormwater Hub. “Projects.” 2020

344

345

OAKLAND AVENUE

URBAN FARM

EXISTING BIORETENTION PROJECTS IN DETROIT

Source: Detroit Stormwater Hub, 2020

BRUSH SEWER LINE

SEWER LINES FROM O.A.U.F.

BRUSH SEWER AREA (APPROX)


16

ANNUAL NUMBER OF DISCHARGES

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

B059A

B059B

B045

B044

B042A

B042B

B041

B040

B039

B038

B037

B036

B035

B034

B033

B032

B031

B030

B029

B028

B027

B026

OUTFALL ID

B025

B024

B023

B022

B021

B020

B019

B018

B017

B016

B015

B014

B013

B012

B011

B010

348

Source: GLWA, Detroit River Outfalls Annual Frequency of Discharge (FY 2017-2018)

THE OAKLAND AVENUE

349

URBAN FARM DISCHARGES

STORMWATER RUNOFF INTO

THE BRUSH STREET SEWER

LINE AND CSO OUTFALL.

THIS OUTFALL RELEASES

MORE COMBINED SEWAGE

INTO THE DETROIT RIVER

THAN MOST OF THE OTHER

OUTFALLS ALONG THE

RIVER; APPROXIMATELY 47

MILLION GALLONS A YEAR.

BRUSH SEWER LINE

FARM RUNOFF

BRUSH SEWER AREA (APPROX)


350

351

IN-STREET GREEN

STORMWATER

INFRASTRUCTURE

ALONG OAKLAND

AVENUE HAS THE

CAPACITY TO MANAGE

APPROXIMATELY 3 TIMES

MORE RUNOFF THAN ALL

OTHER BIORETENTION

PROJECTS IN DETROIT.

352

353

25

20

MILLION GALLONS MANAGED

(ANNUALLY)

15

10

5

0

OAKLAND AVENUE URBAN

FARM PROPERTIES

(BIORETENTION)

5 ACRES

1 MG MANAGED

EXISTING BIORETENTION

PROJECTS IN DETROIT

29.7 ACRES

5.5 MG MANAGED

PROPERTY ALONG

OAKLAND AVENUE (USING

IN-STREET INTERVENTIONS)

24.6 ACRES

15.9+ MG ESTIMATE

354

A UNIFIED IN-STREET

STORMWATER

MITIGATION STRATEGY

ALONG OAKLAND

AVENUE COULD MANAGE

UP TO 15.9 MG OF

RUNOFF ANNUALLY IN

THE BRUSH STREET

SEWER AREA.

355

356

OPPORTUNITY A:

Runoff from roadways and parcels along Oakland Ave is treated and

retained in bioswales that form a barrier between vehicle travel lanes and

bike lanes.

OPPORTUNITY B:

Runoff from roadways and parcels along Oakland Ave is treated and

retained in rain gardens that frame pedestrian crossing areas and

on-street parking.

357

EXISTING STREET

Untreated and partially treated stormwater

runoff from Oakland Avenue and the adjacent

properties flows directly into the combined

sewer system through storm drains.

LOT WITH EXISTING HOUSE

OAKLAND

SIDEWALK

ON-STREET

PARKING

TRAVEL

LANE

358

359

AVENUE

VACANT LOT

TRAVEL

LANE

ON-STREET

PARKING

SIDEWALK

OPPORTUNITY A

On-street parking lanes are converted into two

new bike lanes with bioswales to collect, treat,

and retain stormwater runoff during wet weather

events.


OAKLAND

SIDEWALK

(EXISTING)

BIKE

LANE

BIOSWALE

TRAVEL

LANE

360

361

AVENUE

VACANT LOT

TRAVEL

LANE

BIOSWALE

BIKE

LANE

SIDEWALK

(EXISTING)

OPPORTUNITY B

A green barriers are created between the onstreet

parking lanes and the sidewalk on both

sides of the street. These mini-green spaces

can treat and retain stormwater runoff from the

roadway and adjacent properties.


OAKLAND

SIDEWALK

(EXISTING)

RAIN

GARDEN

ON-STREET

PARKING

TRAVEL

LANE

362

363

AVENUE

VACANT LOT

TRAVEL

LANE

RAIN GARDEN

SIDEWALK

(EXISTING)

GLASS HALF FULL

Our research points to urban

farming as a unique asset in tactical

water management and environmental

remediation—in the city of

Detroit, and beyond. The measures

we have outlined lead the way to

greater facilitation for the food security,

community building, diffuse and

low-cost urban infrastructure, and

hands-on land management strategies

embodied by urban farming as a

movement and a practice in the city.

Our recommendations are

concerned with those measures

that will lead to a sustainable urban

farm in symbiotic relationship to

its ecological values, but able to

continue economically, so these

interim solutions can last temporarily

and beyond. These include:

Novel governance, particularly with

regard to water meter regulation

Methods for managing the land in

sustainable way, including the facilitation

of land trusts that will act as

a shield against market inflation and

preserve open space for agricultural

use, even in the face of rising urban

development efforts

Strong supportive partnerships with

legal aid organizations, environmental

assessors, and other land survey

resources

Targeted policy inflection, developed

in consideration of what beneficial

measures also work best with other

businesses

Community engagement that

reframes leisure-scaping in a way that

is comfortable and equitable, rather

than triggering negative response to

agriculture in urban environment

We feel heartened to see how the

existence of urban agriculture has

already served to make cultural,

economic, and ecosystemic impact

in Detroit, and anticipate the

renewed efforts that can thrive with

a bit of tactical guidance, governmental

support, and best practice

implementation. The city on the strait

flows ever forward, leading the way

to an open horizon of possibilities.

365

Jean Louis Farges

Prinicipal, Akoaki

Jean Louis Farges is an architect and

curator. As director of Akoaki, a Detroitbased

architecture and design studio,

his interdisciplinary research focuses

on contemporary issues of architecture

and urban design, while highlighting

the generative impact of cultural infrastructure

in the public domain. His

recent work in Detroit has established

his expertise in the field of emerging

social strategies for urban activation,

and equitable regeneration. Jean Louis

Farges oversees precedent research,

schematic design, construction drawings,

and implementation strategies for

selected water stewardship systems.

Anya Sirota

Associate Professor, University

of Michigan, Taubman College of

Architecture and Urban Planning;

Principal, Akoaki

Anya Sirota is an architectural designer

and educator. As principal of the Detroitbased

studio Akoaki, Sirota works at

the intersection of architecture and

urban design. She has received international

recognition for her socio-spatial

strategies for urban activation. Anya

Sirota oversees precedent research,

schematic design, prototyping, and

construction drawings of selected water

stewardship systems.

Akoaki Team

Liz Feltz, Designer

Abirami Manivannan, Designer

Sarah Rose-Sharp, Writer

Sarah Wagner, Designer

Jerry Hebron

Executive Director, Oakland Avenue

Urban Farm

Raised in Detroit’s North End neighborhood

and education in the Detroit Public

School system, Jerry Ann Hebron works

to create an inclusive environment

where people can feel safe, inspired and

culturally independent. After a career

in real estate and legal administration,

Jerry returned to her childhood district

to run the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

and give voice to the community. During

the last decade, she enabled the farm

to grow from a small urban parcel to a

6-acre hybrid landscape combining food

production, civic actions and cultural

activities. In parallel, she serves as the

Executive Director of the North End

Christian Community Development

Corporation, which has spearheaded

many community initiatives focused on

education, social stabilization and equitable

economic growth. Jerry Hebron

oversees the materialization of the project

as a symbiotic set of relationships

benefiting the community and makes

positive environmental impact in the

North End and beyond.

Carol Trowell

Director, Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

Director at Northend Christian CDC

and a long time resident of the North

End, Carol Trowell is an associate

broker certified in Distressed Property

and Vendor Resource Management. A

leader in the local real estate community,

she has earned multiple industry

awards. She works with the farm team

to oversee the progression of the project

and continues to form relationships

CONTRIBUTORS

between the project and the North End

community.

Natosha Tallman

Program Director, Oakland Avenue

Urban Farm

Natosha was first introduced to the

nonprofit world in 2008 as an Executive

Assistant, as well as Program Director

of the AmeriCorps Next Steps Community

Reintegration Program . She joined

the Farm in 2017 as program director.

She has traveled to urban farms in

Paris, St. Etienne, Geneva, Pittsburgh,

Cleveland and Chicago to learn first

hand about best sustainable practices.

She also works with the farm team to

oversee the progression of the project.

Donald Carpenter

Professor of Civil Engineering,

Lawrence Technological University

Vice President, Drummond Carpenter

Engineering + Research

Donald D. Carpenter, Ph.D, PE, LEED

AP is an accredited green design

professional and professional engineer

whose expertise includes green infrastructure,

stormwater best management

practices (BMPs), hydrologic modeling

and design, community engagement

and field data collection. In addition to

being co-founder of Drummond Carpenter,

he currently serves as Director of the

Great Lakes Stormwater Management

Institute and a Professor of Practice.

Don Carpenter will consult on the engineering

and implementation of green

stormwater infrastructure at the Farm.

James Lesko & Stephen Gliatto

Co-Founder, Fellow Citizen

Fellow Citizen is a social venture prototyping

innovative community-centered

development. Fellow Citizen is reactivating

a vacant commercial building

adjacent to the Oakland Avenue Farm

to create an equitable food-oriented

development that will elevate the work

of the Farm and local food entrepreneurs

while creating a social space

for all. Fellow Citizen looks to inspire

best-practices around sustainability,

including Green Stormwater Infrastructure,

and is partnering with the Farm to

develop an integrated water-use plan for

their shared footprint. In support of this,

Fellow Citizen commissioned a detailed

analysis of Detroit-specific GSI options

for its property—information that James

and Stephen hope will be useful to other

Detroit residents, and that contributed to

the development of this book.

Partnering Organizations

In addition to the project’s direct partners,

the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm

has been working cooperatively with a

range of economic development and

food justice organizations in Detroit:

Detroit Black Community Food Security

Network, Detroit Justice Center, Earthworks,

Feedom Freedom, Keep Growing

Detroit, Detroit Food Policy Council, to

name a few. The Farm intends to involve

these friends, mentors, and experts in

all phases of this project, through invitations

to participate in programming,

public conversations, publications,

events, and precedent research analysis.

CONTRIBUTORS

The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb

Family Foundation

A very special thank you to the Fred

A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation

for their support of our efforts to

create an economically, ecologically,

and culturally sustainable landscape in

Detroit’s North End and to share new

knowledge and research with farmers,

designers, and residents across Detroit.

370

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