Detroit’s landscape is plagued with vacancy and abandonment, and between the vacant lots, many people find themselves living a relatively rural existence in the remains of a neighborhood that no longer exists. Communities that remain in shrinking cities are primarily connected socially rather than through physical proximity, however, academics agree that place-based sense of community is important in neighborhood transformation. An opportunity exists for a new strategy of neighborhood transformation to occur that connects communities physically and socially. By placing the needs of the residents at the forefront of the discussion and empowering them to be critically involved in the transformation process, neighborhoods can transform incrementally with design guidance from professionals. 

This individual major research project was conducted for the completion of the Urban Design and City Planning masters program at The Bartlett, University College London. First, a literature review and case study review were used to produce a design toolkit and framework. These were then tested through a design proposal for the Banglatown neighborhood in Detroit.