In 2018, an anonymous donor gifted a 30 x 100 ft. lot to the city of Hamtramck in hopes that the city would transform it into a neighborhood park. The donor wanted to contribute to the city’s green space, which makes up a mere 2.6% of the city’s 2.2 square miles. The national median is […]
Posted inSolutions
It took a group of Black farmers to start fixing Detroit’s land ownership problem
Jerry Hebron, executive director of Oakland Avenue Urban Farm and one of the organizers of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund. Credit: Nick Hagen For farmers to tackle food security, they need land equity. It took them 20 minutes to reach their goal. The campaign ultimately raised nearly $55,000. Tepirah Rushdan was talking to her […]
Posted inSolutions
Can an income-based water affordability plan solve Detroit’s water shutoff problem?
Lisa Brooks still owes more than $2,000 in arrearages to DWSD. Once Michigan’s water shutoff moratorium expires on December 31, she will be at immediate risk of losing her water service a third time. The first time Lisa Brooks’ water service was shut off by the Detroit Water & Sewer Department, in 2018, she and […]
Posted inSolutions
How Detroit chefs reinvented their food businesses to survive the pandemic
While the pandemic has shown how fragile the industry is, it’s also demonstrated “how strong its community can be.” Relish co-founders Le’Genevieve Squires (left) and Brittiany Peeler. Photo courtesy of Relish. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, it hit the restaurant industry particularly hard. In a business already plagued by inequities, where employees work […]
Posted inSolutions
Making a home for fish and wildlife in the Detroit River’s ‘Conservation Crescent’
Grosse Ile resident Bert Urbani was looking out her window several years ago when she spotted 19 bald eagles fishing in the partially frozen-over Detroit River. “When you see a sight like that, it carries weight,” says Urbani, who also works as communications co-chair for the Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy. Grosse Ile is […]
Posted inGuides
Here’s your fall sustainable shopping guide
“I’ve always believed clothes have stories behind them and should live more than one life if they’re physically able to.” – Corliss Elizabeth Williams, proprietor of the Lowry Estate. The annual farewell to summer and embrace of fall is typically marked by a collective feeling of novelty and excitement. Back-to-school shopping is a staple of […]
Posted inCommunity
SPONSORED: Let’s fight hunger this September with fresh produce.
This post is sponsored by Taste The Local Difference, your resource for local food & farms. September is Hunger Action Month, a national movement to raise awareness about hunger in the United States and the policies and systems that can combat it. This year, the efforts are even more pressing, especially in Michigan. Due to […]
