Greening of Detroit Park

The Greening of Detroit has been a mainstay in the city since the late 1980’s. Detroit had been rapidly losing its stock of trees due to the explosion of industrialization and urban sprawl. Nearly a half million trees were lost between 1950 and 1980. The Greening of Detroit is a non-profit organization that has been heavily involved in the reforestation of Detroit since its inception. The organization has been involved in planting trees and other green-based beautification efforts throughout the city. The Greening of Detroit will establish community efforts to plant trees and flowers in abandoned lots as well as public spaces. The organization spearheads community based groups that restore public parks, renovate streetscapes, and re-envision entire streets that will one day be lined with foliage and greenery. Community based gardens are also heavily influenced by the non-profit.

 

The Greening of Detroit also has an urban park located off of Jefferson. The park offers some great views of the Renaissance Center emerging through the trees.  The park has plenty of benches to relax on, mostly intact and clean. The side walk pathways through the park are clear of brush and offer a scenic route through the small urban space. The canopy overhead of trees is a great juxtaposition to the giant concrete buildings and complexes that surrounds the park. The grass is freshly groomed and there is a distinct sense of upkeep and dedication to the park.

In the middle of the park is a large, slightly raised grassy rectangle. Within the inner perimeter is a concrete slab. An industrial inspired work of art is protruding from the concrete slab below it. About a dozen metal posts are stuck into the cement and offer support for another layer of metal planks that form a structure. Within the middle of the structure is a copious amount of glass tubing. The tubes are about a foot in diameter and are stacked together in a rectangular like shape. The tubes are roughly fifteen to twenty feet long and the entire structure is quite large in comparison to the size of the park. The glass on metal components melded with the design of the structure appear as if it could have been once found within the campus of the College for Creative Studies. The art piece is pretty massive and is definitely something that catches the eye when passing through.

The park is not very secluded, but the location is very convenient. Coming from downtown or either way up and down Jefferson, the Greening of Detroit Park offers easy access and parking availability. When I visited the park, there was only one other guy sitting on a bench. The entirety of the trails and tree-covered grass were exploding with wildlife and vegetation. Buzzing bumble bees, squirrels, chipmunks, and butterflies frolicked along the fresh natural splendors of the park. The park is situated between some derelict buildings, but the boarded up windows do not block out the sunshine and splendor of the park.