The constant evolution of the global marketplace has forced cities to reconsider and jettison countless industries. Once, a booming land for manufacturing, Delray, Detroit is now affected by industrial abandonment, infrastructural decay, and residual pollution from its heyday. The empty lots of land have become definite assets for the city to introduce the NITC [New International Trade Crossing] toll, a project for a new border crossing to Canada. It is estimated to generate significant revenue but the bridge will land in the center of Delray, ultimately dividing the neighborhood’s pre-existing urban fabric into two. The proposal aims to balance the interests of protagonists who are for and against the NITC through the Michigan Ginseng Act of 1994. Issued and enforced by the Department of Natural Resources, it “regulates the harvest, sale, and distribution of American Ginseng in Michigan. The act covers both cultivated and wild ginseng, and makes it unlawful to take American Ginseng without a permit from the MNDR.” With the help of Michael Hunter, ‘the Modern-day Johnny Appleseed of ginseng’, SW Detroit Community Benefits Association, and Keep Growing Detroit, the project will reintroduce the endangered American Ginseng and redirect the landing of the bridge to a new location, keeping a larger portion of Delray intact for future development and harvest.
Young-Tack Oh‘s project was Highly Commended in the Creative Conscience Awards.
