Green : Buzz

For two years, John Hantz has kept a dream alive -- building the world's largest urban farm within Detroit's city limits. But a new editorial in The Detroit News reveals he's been waylaid by plans for the Detroit Works Project and uncertainty over applying the Michigan Right to Farm Law to an urban environment. Meanwhile, Hantz, who has already invested over $1 million into his project, is cooling his heels, with word on the street that one project will soon come up for a vote in front of City Council.

Excerpt:

The Hantz project will allow him to clear about 5 acres, create a 1-acre berry farm and use a high-tech approach to growing apples on a grid. Instead of selling food, Hantz, the capitalist, agrees not to sell. It's a U-Pick, U No Pay plan that's far from the entrepreneur's original -- and eventual -- intention. The deal allows Hantz to buy 20 city lots on Brimson, Dwyer and St. Louis streets for $6,800 -- a pittance until you realize that he's going to tear down a vacant building, clear the land and return abandoned property to the tax rolls.

Read more here.

For those who think Detroit's future is only tied to urban farmlands or auto plants, think again: the Motor City is quickly making serious gains in the technology sector.

This month, Detroit bested every single city in the nation with 101 percent job growth for technology job openings, according to Dice.com. Every day, there are more than 800 available tech positions for hire -- and let's not forget they draw an average salary of $71,445 in the D (up two percent from 2010).

Excerpt:

Of course, it can be argued that Detroit and many other cities in the region were in bad shape economically a year ago, so any growth at all is going to be significant.  But the Detroit area also has its share of determined visionaries who seek to create a sustainable entrepreneurial climate, with new types of businesses to replace its auto industry base.

Detroit as the next Silicon Valley? Maybe not today, but don't stop believin.' See the numbers for yourself.

Three Danish students journeyed to our fair city last summer to make a documentary on Detroit's urban planning ideas and what they could do for our future. Don't get turned off by the academic mission -- the ambient soundtrack, glimpses inside hair salons and liquor stores and Public Pool, meditations on urban pheasants and the Michigan Central station, all add up to one arresting and thought-provoking short film from our friends at Roskilde University.

Copenhagenize.com writes:

They'll highlight a city that was home to the Big Three -- Ford, Chrysler and GM and that gave the world Motown and Techno. A city that lost half of its population in just 50 years and where this year alone 3000 houses will be torn down.

A city that has the fantastic potential to be the first large city in the world to produce all of its foodstuffs within the city limits. A city that is fighting economic meltdown and brutal budget cuts. A city with a blossoming underground and art scene.

Views of Detroit was presented Feb 3 in Copenhagen, and a segment that featured a slow, hypnotic ride on the People Mover (with music by Hamtramck-based sound artist Jennifer Paull) screened last week at Public Pool.

With the prevalence of ready-to-heat Morningstar veggie burgers on the market, finding a delicious meat-free hamburger can be a challenge. NYC veggie and vegan blogger Dan B. spent a few weeks in Detroit, and came away impressed with the metro area's offal-free offerings for the leaf-eaters among us. His inner-city salvation? Homemade veggie burgers at Midtown's Traffic Jam & Snug and Cass Cafe.

Excerpt:

The winner as it stands would be Traffic Jam & Snug in the Cass Corridor section of Detroit. The spicy lentil veggie burger is just amazing. I can't get enough of this sandwich, I have it almost every time I visit Michigan.

Find out which other Metro Detroit restaurants made the VegYorkCity list here.

A star-studded group of writers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders gathered at Lincoln's TED-sponsored conference at the North American International Auto Show. Called "New Tomorrows," the list of presenters included Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, conceptualist Lisa Gansky, Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty, and locals John Gallagher and Jessica Care Moore.

What's the future? A city of hacker dens uniting creative energy with technology, local farms supplying fresh produce, local bike paths along streetways and light rail.

Excerpt:

Ms. Gansky touched on the success of the Zipcar company and encouraged automakers to propagate car-share models -- a concept she explores in her 2010 book "The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing." "I really wanted to bring up the discussion of transit and how data could be used to do so much more," she said. "The car is a platform for people."

Read the post here.

Milicent Johnson is a New York native who got plenty of stern warnings -- and pepper spray -- when she decided to journey to the D to uncover our city's spirit of community. What she found, after ditching the Mace, was a warm and vibrant population who welcomed her with open arms. From Rachel's Place, to crepes, to even milking a goat, Johnson got the true D-town experience. Which led to some pretty interesting ruminations on Detroit's role in shaping ideas for rebuilding 21st century cities. And it seems this Shareable Cities post made at least one convert.

Excerpt:

So, here's my final confession: I want to move to Detroit. Having lived in New York City, D.C, Boston, and now, San Francisco, I'm used to comfortable city life that caters to the young. But never have I experienced a place thriving with talent, energy, passion, and determination to make their city, and by association, the world, a better place. If you are looking for a place to develop your dream, whatever it may be, consider trying to do so in Detroit, in the place I am now dubbing the birthplace of our collective new American destiny. See you there.

We're baking that "Welcome to Detroit" casserole, Milicent, so hurry on back. Read the whole post here.

It's like an arms race, but with jobs. Gov. Granholm took to the Huffington Post this week to give her idea for a Jobs Race for the Top that would allow poorly-funded states the chance to receive a portion of the nation's economic development dollars (there's about $170 billion). Granhom's argument cuts across political platforms, as well as state lines, with rewards in place for creating clean energy jobs, establishing public-private partnerships and rewriting policy. And Granholm used Michigan as the example of a state that's done it right:

Excerpt:

In just over a year, we have attracted 18 domestic and international companies, projected to create 63,000 private-sector jobs in Michigan. With breathtaking speed, we built an entire advanced battery "ecosystem" for the purpose of electrifying the automobile. If the states are the laboratories of democracy, Washington can take a lesson from what is happening in Michigan. 

We are really appreciating the HuffPo love for Detroit these days. Read more here.

Detroit Renewable Power will hire back 91 laid-off workers to re-open a waste-to-energy plant purchased from the Energy Investment Fund and Coventa, both out-of-state investors.

As part of a $50-million acquisition, the DRP also purchased Detroit Thermal LLC, an underground steam system running along the Woodward Corridor from the riverfront to New Center.

In addition to creating jobs, DRP says it conducted extensive surveying on improving efficiency and odor problems from the waste-to-energy facility.

Excerpt:

It also intends to deal with the plant's impacts on the neighboring communities, including improvements to traffic flow as well as to the visual appearance and odor. DRP Operating President Paul Maier said: "We are making significant, immediate improvements in the plant and understand the important role it plays in providing responsible waste management, recycling and vital energy services for Detroit."

Read more here.

Three College for Creative Studies students are trying to take the consumerism out of the Christmas gift-giving tradition -- and an abandoned house near the Zen Center in Hamtramck may see some new life.

The students recently explored the abandoned house before it was razed to document its history. Inside, they found hundreds of childrens' toys, which they decided to clean and sell online. Not only is Blank Blank Toys Toys an inexpensive pop-up toy shop advocating that we re-use what we've made, the students also decided to dedicate the proceeds to further another possible project on the land.

Excerpt:

We partnered with a woman who wanted to take the lot after the house is demolished and turn it into a community park or pool. The money we generate will be donated to our partner to help create this positive change for the community. We believe there are ways of creating positive change in and around our communities that will renew usable resources as well as create new possibilities.

There's a G.I. Joe figurine for $1.99, and plenty of other cool toys for you to check out here.

Detroit's greenspaces and pedestrian byways are flush with the green. Thanks to a windfall from increased oil and gas permits, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund recommended Gov. Granholm fund $102 million worth of natural projects in 2011.

Detroit projects garnered much of the total funding, with large-scale applications approved for the Wlliam J. Milliken State Park (better known as the downtown hub of the Detroit River Walk), the Dequindre Cut and a $5 million dollar greenway to connect the coastline from the Ambassador to the MacArthur bridges.

Excerpt:

A million dollars in Detroit Recreational Department projects were also recommended, both of which include trails. These grants  along with the Dequindre Cut grant would not have been possible without the city's recreation plan being approved earlier this year — a basic requirement for this funding source.

Check out the winners here.

The concept of urban farming shouldn't be new to any regular readers of Model D. But here's something buzz-worthy: the city's publicly-owned land could transform the Motor City into a post-industrial land of plenty.

The New York Times Green blog sourced a Michigan State University study that claims the city's vacant land has the potential to produce 75 percent of the city's vegetable supply and 40 percent of non-tropical fresh fruits for local residents.

Excerpt:

The study identified 44,000 parcels totaling nearly 5,000 acres, with no existing structures, that were owned by the city, surrounding Wayne County or the state of Michigan. Land in and around parks, golf courses, cemeteries, schools, churches, hospitals, jails, utilities, right-of-ways and privately owned property was not included.

"Our totals are conservative," said Mike Hamm, a professor of sustainable agriculture at Michigan State University. "But it may be closer to representing the quantity of land more readily available for urban farms and gardens because these parcels are publicly owned and clear of any buildings." The post also suggests proposals for large-scale agriculture in the city remain on the drawing board. Your move, Detroit.

Read the post here.

Is this a "golden moment" for cities like Detroit?

There's a conscious reason the national group CEOs for Cities, which has celebrated urban growth since 2001, chose Detroit for this year's annual conference (and got schooled on Tech Town, the Detroit Declaration and more). A new article from Citiwire.net says it's the growing appreciation for cities' inherent resources that makes now, not the future, the time to capitalize on building our nation's cities of tomorrow.The article also illustrated a few comparisons between Detroit and Atlanta, which has experienced steady revitalization in the past decade.

Excerpt:

The Detroit initiatives that may seem "against all odds" do in fact mirror trends working for American cities. Reports are multiplying of a growing cohort of talented young people, many of them college graduates, drawn to cities by their dynamism and excitement ... Then there's a clear trend, notes Carol Coletta, president of CEOs for Cities: recognizing, then exploiting, cities' sometimes hidden assets. A prime example is the Atlanta Beltline, a year a forlorn and abandoned 22-mile loop of rail lines now being made into a linear park of 1,200 landscaped acres with recouped industrial sites and transit service for 45 neighborhoods.

Read it here.

At Dickinson Elementary, staff and students are proving it's never too early to go green. From a project to turn milk cartons into benches (the only of its kind in the area), Dickinson kids raised $4,000 to transform the school's outdoor land into usable green space, while volunteering their time to personally complete the work. The breadth of their vision should inspire every potential do-gooder to get outside this spring!

Excerpt:

In addition to tearing out the concrete near all the entrances and then replacing it with garden space that includes ground cover, shrubs and trees, a number of benches and tables will be added to create an outdoor learning environment. Moreover, large planters will be placed at each entrance, the playground will be resurfaced and the playscape replaced and relocated.

Read more about this grade school green space here.

Street by street, the mobile produce stand called Peaches & Greens brings fresh fruits and vegetables to Detroit residents more accustomed to living in what researchers call a "food desert." NPR's Michel Martin spoke to Peaches & Greens executive director Lisa Johanon about where she got the idea to build a brick-and-mortar produce shop and a roving truck in the city.

Excerpt:

I'm having to drive every week 10 miles away to get the kind of produce that I want to serve my family. And so I got to thinking, well, if this is my issue, it's got to be my neighbors' issue. And my neighbor may not have a car and makes it even more challenging for them. So, some people dream dreams that are, you know, world peace, we just dream the dream of having produce in our neighborhood.

Have you heard the Peaches & Greens song on your street? Listen to the story here.

Two new SMART hybrid-electric buses hitting the bus system's most-used routes on Woodward and Gratiot ride, as one bus driver put it, "like a Cadillac." The two buses, which were purchased for $800,000 each using federal stimulus dollars, are roomy, comfortable, and measure almost twice as long as SMART's regular diesel buses.

Taking the bus is de rigueur in Curitiba, Brazil, which boasts the world's most sophisticated bus system, carrying the same amount of passengers as subways or light rail at a fraction of the cost. While Detroit can't yet match the elevated bus stations or dedicated lanes of Curitiba, these 100-seat mega-buses will offer SMART passengers a glimpse into the region's possible transit future.

Excerpt:

The region can't sustain rapid transit or light-rail service if more people aren't willing to park their cars at least part of the time. Unfortunately, basic buses are simply not sexy enough to lure many drivers out of their vehicles. SMART should use these hybrids to start promoting transit for people who have transportation options. Southeast Michigan is a long way from a first-class transit system -- one that can match Curitiba or even Cleveland -- but SMART's new world-class buses should whet the region's appetite for one.

Read more here.