Example of Student Work on Land Use & Sustainable Communities
Planning for Redevelopment
In the spring of 2000, eighth graders from Ypsilanti's East Middle Schools partnered on a community project with landscape architecture students from the University of Michigan. The goal: to create redevelopment plans for a blighted public lot near the school. The interdisciplinary project linked community history, ecology, design, and civics with skills in mapping, scientific inquiry, decision-making, and problem-solving.
[view close up]
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Activities for this project included:
- Field visits and water testing to learn about the connections between urban planning and watersheds.
- Tracing the history of the land site and mapping the surrounding neighborhood.
- Identifying and cataloging species.
- Creating plans for public space that incorporate native plants, art, picnic areas, and other features.
- Presenting models to community officials.
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“We pass by this site everyday,” said a student. “I’m excited to know that people wanted our point of view.”
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