Coalition launches pilot to boost Detroit’s green spaces

The Detroit Parks Coalition is launching an 18-month pilot program to improve parks and public spaces across the city.

Funded by $1 million in grants, the program includes $90,000 from the Knight Foundation to host a citywide arts festival this summer and $500,000 from the State of Michigan to install capital improvements in parks.

Alex Allen, CEO of Chandler Park Conservancy, says there’s a lot to gain by investing in green spaces.

“Parks are very important to the physical, mental health and well-being of individuals and the community,” Allen says. “There’s a lot of research that’s been done that shows people who live around parks are healthier and property values go up around parks.”

Allen says the objective of the pilot is to work with communities and the city to ensure Detroit’s parks are well-maintained and well-programmed.

“People want to have those things in the neighborhood, and the coalition will advocate for them,” he says.

Capital improvement funds will go toward updating park benches, signage, play structures and bathrooms.

Additional funding from the Kresge Foundation, the Hudson-Webber Foundation and the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan will support DPC staffing and infrastructure.

The Detroit Parks Coalition was founded in 2018 and consists of 10 regional park organizations including People for Palmer Park, Friends of Rouge Park and Belle Isle Conservancy, to name a few.