What’s Happening in Detroit Parks this Summer?

What’s happening in Detroit’s parks this summer?

Stephen Henderson talks with Joe Rashid, founder of the Detroit Parks Coalition, and WDET’s Digital Editor Nina Ignaczak, about Detroit parks and how residents can get involved this summer in WDET’s Parks Watch community reporting project.

• WDET Parks Watch:  Residents and parks enthusiasts can be the eyes and ears of their local parks this summer with Detroit Parks Watch. Tell us about the good and bad that’s happening in your parks. Are things cleaned? Are they maintained? Do you feel safe? Who is using the parks and what are they doing there?
• Recreational Programming:  Rashid says that Detroit parks have improved in the last two years, with regular maintenance and more people visiting parks.  He says most of the activity at Detroit parks is still “organic”, and would like to see more recreational programming, such as sports games or theater. 
• Belle Isle:  Stephen asks if state control of Belle Isle has improved the island, and says that he has seen some positive change himself.  Nina says that change in Belle Isle will take time, and that the boat races definitely present a challenge.  Rashid says that there is a lot of good happening, and that other parks are seeing increased policing and maintenance as a result of State control of Belle Isle.
• Moroun Deal:  Stephen asks Rashid about the deal between the city of Detroit and the Moroun family to improve Riverside Park in exchange for land to build another bridge to Canada.  Rashid is a critic of this deal, and believes that the city does not have to get in bed with the Morouns to improve the riverfront. 

Click the audio link above to hear the full conversation, and sign up for WDET’s Parks Watch program here.