This week, we heard some creative ideas for land use in Detroit. First, Bedrock announced a proposal for a vertical farm which would create 2 million pounds of produce a year. Then, the mayor announced a plan to turn vacant land in neighborhoods into solar parks, which would power Detroit's municipal buildings.
Detroit is known for its large plots of vacant land. After its highest population of over 1.8 million in the early 1950s, the population now stands around 650,000 (depending on who you ask). That led to a lot of vacant homes, properties, and land. For a city spanning 143 square miles, there are acres of land that could and should be put to a creative and sustainable use.
Mayor Duggan has been on a Blight-to-Beauty spree this past year, pressuring building owners to fix up or finish their stagnant developments. There's also a proposal for a different tax system that would increase taxes on land itself in the city, since speculators have gotten away with doing nothing with their land in the city for years.
In recent years, we've seen an increase in industrial production in the city, with the demolition of older industrial sites and the construction of new sites.
With so much vacant land in the city, what are some other creative ideas for its use? Share your ideas in the comments.
