Latest news with #DetroitParksCoalition
Axios
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Eliza Howell concert honors nature and neighborhood
A summer concert series featuring unique compositions written for five city parks continues this weekend at Eliza Howell Park in Brightmoor. The big picture: Sounds from the Park is a collaboration between the Detroit Parks Coalition and Marcus Elliot, a local saxophonist, composer and educator. Supported by a $100,000 grant awarded last year, Elliot has written music inspired by the cultures and surrounding communities for each park in the series. If you go: The free Eliza Howell concert is Saturday from 7:30-8:30pm. Elliot will be joined by a string quartet, a pianist and a drummer, he told BridgeDetroit. What they're saying:"Every performance is completely different," Elliot told Bridge. "Every park has a theme as well, so this park's theme is 'Reverence for Nature,' because there's just so much beautiful access to nature at Eliza Howell." Eliza Howell is among the city's largest parks, with 250 acres on the northwest side along the Rouge River. More than 2 miles of hiking trails, ponds and a wildflower prairie are among its natural attractions. How it works: The composed music centers on interviews conducted over the past year with the parks' stewards and visitors. "We've been taking those interviews and I've been both placing it in the music and also writing a lot of the music around the interviews," Elliot told Bridge. "We play these interviews of people in the community talking, sharing their stories and sharing why the parks are important to them and then we have the music happening." The intrigue: The show coincides with the free Sidewalk Festival, a two-day block party-style event at the park Friday from 6-8pm and Saturday from 2-9pm. Zoom out: Saturday's concert is the third in the Sounds From the Park series. The first was June 14 at Chandler Park, with a house/techno vibe, followed by a percussion-heavy show on July 17 at Clark Park.
Axios
28-05-2025
- General
- Axios
Detroit's parks rating rises in annual ranking
Detroit's parks system climbed in a national ranking this year, but greater investment in our green spaces and better amenities are needed to compete with higher-ranking cities. Why it matters: Detroit has more than 300 parks that serve as community meetup spots, offer space for exercise, and can attract new residents. The city is investing more into its parks now, but there's still work to do. Driving the news: We're No. 58 on the Trust for Public Land's 2025 ParkScore index of park systems in the 100 most populous cities in the country, up from No. 65 last year. The ranking is based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity. The analysis includes data from public and private organizations that manage or support publicly accessible parks. Zoom in: Detroit received high marks this year for park access, with 84% of Detroiters living within a 10-minute walk of a park. The parks scored well for amenities like basketball courts and sports fields, but a dearth of permanent restrooms and dog parks hurt the ranking. Per person, $118 was spent on the city's parks system — more than last year's $80 average but below the national average of $133. Zoom out: Washington, D.C., had the country's best park system this year, followed by Irvine, California. What they're saying: Detroit's parks have improved significantly in recent years, Sigal Hemy Spiegel, executive director of the Detroit Parks Coalition, tells Axios. "If you go out on a summer day to any of our regional parks, they're slammed with people. It's awesome," Spiegel says. Context: The city has 14 regional parks of at least 50 acres, including Belle Isle, Balduck and Palmer parks. Yes, but: Spiegel says the city's parks could improve with more regular trash pickups at all 300-plus parks. She also suggested starting regular park maintenance well before Memorial Day because many people use the parks in April. The coalition partners with the city, philanthropic organizations and community groups to support the city's parks. Flashback: Detroit's ParkScore ranked 88th in 2018. The city contemplated closing 77 parks in 2010 when it was on a path to bankruptcy. Between the lines: Detroit's sheer size — nearly 140 square miles — hinders its acreage score, which measures the percentage of the city's overall area that's dedicated to parkland.
