r1/
Little Village
Environmental
Report

OCT 2024
2 weeks
Environmental Survey, Research Mapping
In Collaboration with Jenna Li
Role: Field Survey, Graphic Design, Environmental Analysis

On-site biodiversity survey and environmental research. This report researched the environmental context and challenges relating to the developments led by Library Street Collective. Examining the blocks across Little Village, Detroit, profiles for the natural environment were created and analyzed to pinpoint challenges and considerations.

The conclusions of this report helped inform the project Coordinated Community Greenspaces.

Methods

The first part of this report seeks to understand the seasonal characteristics and phenology of the site. Background research was conducted using historical data from weather.gov and the temperature and percipitation data is then overlayed with events to map out the unique seasonal characteristics of Little Village.

The second part consists of a field survey of the biodiversity in the neighborhood. The range of the survey extends from the blocks of McClellan St. to Pennsylvania St. and from Kercheval Ave. to the Detroit River. To analyze the botanical composition of the site, I identified the overstory, understory, and ground species-- sorting them into a total of six archetypes, categorized by various levels of density and land use (residential, arboricultural, etc.).

The results of these findings are mapped and analyzed against each other to gain a comprehensive understanding of the natural character of Little Village, as well as identify the challenges that may face its natural and social ecosystems.

Part 1: Phenology

Using weather data from the past year, we compared seasonal events-- weather, animal migration, and plant cycles-- against temperature and percipitation patterns.

The weather events displayes the seasonal characteristics through images of East Detroit and notes any climate challenges that the region may face. Through mapping the animal migratory events, we hope to open the conversation about perserving/creating nesting and feeding habitats. And by mapping plant cycles, we created a visual color board of the neighborhood’s colors and textures throughout the seasons.

Part 2: Biodiversity

In surveying the biodiversity of the neighborhood, we organized the habitats we found into six archetypes by density, land use, and human involvement: Urban Wilderness, Lone Giants, Grass (at first glance), Street Guardians, Tree Farms, and Curated Landscapes (sorted by least to most human-intensive).

The economic story of Little Village resembles much of the rest of the Detroit suburbs, and vacant or unkept lots are a common sight. These types of ecosystems are fast-growing and difficult to control-- however, they do exhibit a higher biodiversity than their more manicured counterparts. A closer look at these undesirable habitats shows unique potential for stormwater drainage, while also raising concerns for the spread of invasive species and public upkeep.

Conclusions

One of the current challenges facing the East Detroit is disinvestment and vacancy. If the current infrastructure persists, the difficulties brought on by climate change would make livability in the neighborhood less desirable, feeding into the vicious cycle of blight.

While the neighborhood does boast a high biodiversity, the “wildness” and extent of the vacant green spaces in turn harms the social reputation of the Village.

Striking a balance between fostering a functional biodiverse ecosystem and vibrant human socialization-- with the consideration of climate mitigation-- would be the key priority for the site right now.

Audrey Tang

Design

Research

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