Rouge River Regional Reparations Plan

This capstone, which was completed at the University of Michigan Taubman College or Architecture and Urban Planning as part of the Master of Urban Design Program draws from surrealist methods of making by juxtaposing seemingly un-alike aspects to garner new understandings of the world. This is done through the medium of data mapping, The project drops preconceptions of potential non-associations between data sets such as historically red-lined districts, contemporary impervious surface mapping, tree canopy cover ratio’s, and municipal boundaries, or vacant industrial land and watersheds. Produced, are a series of exquisite corpse-esque maps which reveal new narratives connecting past to contemporary conditions.

The maps were utilized to determine a placement and distribution of a series of repertory infrastructure such as bike lanes, the conversion of vacant industrial spaces into new parks, the resolution of conflicting political and environmental boundaries, and the reorganization and specific implementation of equity building infrastructure, such as bridges and access to industrial production for the expressed intent of reversing long standing systemic inequalities between white and black communities across and throughout the Rouge River Area.

Date: 2017
Location: Detroit, MI
Type: Regional Plan
Status: Proposed
Collaborators: María Arquero de Alarcón