Taubman College Urban Planning Capstone “Stabilizing Morningside” Led by Dewar and Levy Wins MAP “Outstanding Graduate Student Project Award”
Urban and Regional Planning capstone project “Stabilizing Morningside” has won the 2017 Michigan Association of Planning’s “Outstanding Graduate Student Project Award.” The capstone was led by instructors Margi Dewar and Libby Levy in 2015 and consisted of students Josh Bails, Sarah Clark, Fan Fan, Nicholas Fazio, Seul Lee, Evan Markarian, Jamie Simchik, Xiang Yan. The award will be presented at the upcoming MAP Annual Conference on September 27, 2017.
More about Stabilizing Morningside:
Abstract: The Stabilizing Morningside plan aims to build upon the assets of the MorningSide neighborhood to strengthen its housing market and once again make it a neighborhood of choice. The MorningSide neighborhood is a 1.5-square mile community located on the eastside of Detroit, Michigan. Once a stable neighborhood, MorningSide was affected by mortgage foreclosures and is now facing property tax foreclosures. Between 2000 and 2010, the neighborhood population decreased by 27 percent and owner occupancy fell from 65 percent to 60 percent of housing units. Furthermore, housing conditions have declined with most houses in need of renovations or repairs. And lastly, over 20 percent of all properties in the neighborhood are vacant lots.
This plan is the result of a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan Urban and Regional Planning Program, U-SNAP-BAC, the MorningSide neighborhood association, Detroit Future City, Habitat for Humanity Detroit, Michigan Community Resources and the Mayor’s Office. It provides tools to residents and local organizations as well as city, county and state officials. This plan identifies four goals, each with strategies for achieving the goal.
