Islandview Greater Villages

Author(s): City of Detroit Planning and Development Department, SmithGroup JJR, Center for Community Progress

The Center for Community Progress worked on the Islandview Greater Villages (IVGV) Neighborhood Framework Plan with SmithGroupJJR on the Islandview Greater Villages neighborhood planning process, contracted by the City of Detroit’s Planning Department.

Community Progress analyzed existing zoning and developed recommendations for a new approach to zoning that would establish neighborhood retail hubs, a primary mixed use walkable retail and residential core, and large scale green reuse for vacant residential and commercial land, and provided guidance for the overall project team and engagement efforts.

Between 2017-2018, an 18-month planning process was conducted by the City of Detroit and an urban design consulting team, led by SmithGroupJJR, for the IVGV area on Detroit’s lower east side. In the last two years since the planning study’s conclusion, the IVGV team took the opportunity to evaluate and learn from the progress of near-term projects the City committed to implementing in June 2018. Neighborhoods, populations, and the economic market are continuously evolving; concurrently, these forces are now significantly impacted by a global pandemic and substantial economic struggle, Inevitably, development priorities will continue to shift and the long-term trajectory of the neighborhood is subject to change.

As Detroit continues to navigate the significant social, economic, and public health impacts of COVID-19, this Neighborhood Framework for the IVGV seeks to communicate current and near-term implementation initiatives and outline long-term recommendations and guiding principles that can spur neighborhood growth over time.