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. 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.

"We pass by this site everyday," said a student. "I'm excited to know that people wanted our point of view."

Students presenting models to community officials