Audrey Tang

d1/
Coordinated
Community
Greenspaces




DEC 2024
8 weeks
Urban Strategy, Experience Design

In collaboration with Enzo Mignano, 
Matt Kish, and Odiso Obiora

Role: Research & Strategy, Storyboarding, Project Management


A coordinated care strategy for maintaining urban greenspaces and activating local communities. Through a set of design interventions, including plant a maintenance dashboard (NEMO) and an integrated AR game experience (Leaf it to Me), we aim to turn urban landscape maintenance into a co-opted community experience.

The proposal is designed for Little Village, an up-and-coming arts neighborhood in East Detroit, and takes into consideration the unique social and environmental challenges faced in its development. 



How can we grow an engaged Detroit community?


Situated in East Detroit, Little Village is an up-and-coming arts neighborhood piloted by the art gallery Library Street Collective. With the opening of their cultural arts center the Shepard in May of 2024, the Collective is seeking to open new public spaces to revitalize the neighborhood into the arts hub of Detroit. 

Similar to other neighborhoods in the area, Little Village faces the challenges of high vacancy and low density, and as these developments take place, concerns are raised surrounding gentrification, cultural integration, and the exchange of existing communities with newcomers. 

To promote the natural growth of this community, this studio project imagines ways in which we can design urban systems to create innovative and community-first experiences. 





Problem Space


We approached the site with a mix of research methods, including ethnographic interviews of local residents, an environmental survey, and strategic forecasting of trends. Below are the outcomes and opportunities identified from the research I was involved in:

Little Village Environmental Report (see full report)
While most vacant lots were overrun with invasive species due to years of neglect and non-maintenance, we saw an opportunity in the diversity of the urban greenery that is presently available on site. Greenspace maintenance is an expensive problem, and the lack thereof has helped fuel the narrative of vacancy and unwelcome in the area— so how can we switch up the narrative?

Trend Report in the Arts (see full report)
Among the trends we identified currently in the arts, we found that the situation of Little Village aligned closely to the decentralized x physical quadrant where physical spaces are expanding access to art for ownership and engagement. We compared the case studies collected in the report and imagined the assistance of AR and digital technology in enriching physical experiences.



The Idea

Using the research outcomes as an entry point, our team reinvisioned greenspace maintenance as a collaborative activity that can engage both visitors and residents of the area. Through our design interventions, we hope to create a shared stake in tending the public spaces that they share. Our proposed strategy consists of four parts:

1. Sensor Network - A digitally quiet network of sensors to provide continuous monitoring of the living environment;

2. Maintenance Dashboard (NEMO) - Data visualization interface to display the real time data and delegate tasks;

3. On-site Signage - A physical interactive intervention to connect the plant data and visitors;

4. AR Game Experience (Leaf it to Me) - Provide a fun and productive way for the community to get involved with maintaining their community landscapes.







1. Sensor Network


The first part of the strategy is to understand plant behavior through networked real-time data. We shared conversations with local innovators who are working on developing affordable plant sensors to understand the current capabilities of this technology, and we prototyped our own working model with arduino. 








2. Maintenance Dashboard


The data collected from the sensors are transferred and organized in the dashboard NEMO (Natural Environment Management & Operations). This dashboard keeps tabs on the health of individual plants and the composite ecosystem, and it uses this information to propose gardening and maintenance tasks. 

From our conversations with those in the landscaping and arborist professionals, we learned that they spend most of their time assessing, rather than conducting actual maintenance. With the dashboard, we hope to streamline this process and introduce tech-related skills to the field. 







3. On-site Signage


On the public end, the information from NEMO is then conveyed back into the physical space through a set of on-location signage. Aimed towards educating and engaging visitors of the area, the signs contain a mix of real-time data and educational information to create a diverse learning experience. 







4. AR Game Experience


The signs then direct visitors to Leaf it to Me, an AR game experience that allows them to get hands-on and participate in active landscape maintenance. 

Starting with beginner gardening tasks, the game teaches urban residents basic skills in gardening and reduces the barrier of entry to maintaining greenspaces. Through a system of level-ups and reward collaborations with local businesses, we encourage visitors and residents alike to gain an active stake in the wellbeing of Little Village— as well as introduce them to the plants and people around them.







Impacts & Possibilities

The current model is designed to be implemented to greenspaces at the Shepard and Stanton Yards waterfront (latter currently under development) developed by Library Street Collective. 

Looking at the long-term implicaitons and future applications of this strategy, we see a great potential in building climate resilience, optimizing the field of landscape maintenance, and advocating for collective land responsibility. 

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