Greater Warren/Conner Neighborhood Framework Plan
City of Detroit Planning and Development Department
Introduction
The Greater Warren/Conner Neighborhood Framework Plan is a collaborative effort between the City of Detroit and local residents, to ensure that the area thrives and the community advances alongside the rest of the city. Recommendations in five Focus Areas were developed to address community concerns and catalyze revitalization. The specific recommendations in each focus area are summarized on each tab and shown in the accompanying map.
Although the recommendations are categorized into Focus Areas, they are intended to interact with and build off of each other.
Neighborhood Stabilization
“Neighborhood Stabilization” is the process of improving the residential areas in the community through three strategies: sustaining, stabilizing, and stimulating. Each of these strategies is intended to be deployed in specific areas of the neighborhood, depending on the quality and availability of the existing housing stock, and also combined with other investments in mobility, sustainability, parks, vacant land activation, and commercial development. To support the long term success of the Planning Area, strategies include rehabilitating housing, developing new and diverse housing options, and addressing housing affordability.
Commercial and Economic Development
The once bustling commercial corridors in the Greater Warren/Conner neighborhood have experienced shifts due to population decline, evolving retail trends, online shopping, and economic factors. In Detroit and elsewhere, retail landscapes have transformed significantly since these neighborhoods were established. Instead of replicating extensive retail corridors, the emphasis is now on revitalizing neighborhood-focused commercial nodes, integrating essential services into a vibrant, walkable, and interconnected environment.
Mobility and Streets
Streets and roads are critical pieces of infrastructure in any community. They not only provide opportunities for travel and connections, but are also vast public spaces that provide opportunities for local businesses, community interaction, and beautification. Improvements to the transportation network is focused on improving safety and connectivity for all users. This Focus Area identifies opportunities for essential connections for residents, improved transit stops, addresses pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and strategic truck traffic patterns.
Parks and Open Space
Safe, active, and beautiful parks are a key feature of every great neighborhood. The Greater Warren/Conner neighborhood is fortunate to have Chandler Park nearby, one of the City’s destination parks. However, the other parks and recreational assets in the neighborhood also deserve investment, including Brewer Park, the Conner Creek Greenway, and the Canfield Connect. The Parks and Open Space strategies will extend beyond the existence and maintenance of parks, to integrate gathering spaces into the everyday, nearby experience for residents in Greater Warren/Conner. The Focus Area emphasizes equitable investment in parks that have yet to receive improvements including programming and physical Improvements like walking paths, picnic amenities, playscapes suitable for a range of age groups, and basketball courts.
Climate Resilience and Health Equity
The Greater Warren/Conner neighborhood has long been negatively affected by flooding, air pollution, and urban heat, and is more vulnerable to the affects of climate change. The Plan’s recommendations support the need for additional community safeguards from air pollution, environmental disasters, and the cooperative use of vacant land. Strategies that enhance the community's resilience to climate challenges through the implementation of Resiliency Hubs, introducing productive uses of vacant land, and incorporating solutions to mitigate the effects of poor air quality and flooding events are key recommendations for the neighborhood.
The recommendations for the Greater Warren/Conner Framework Plan revolve around improving both the existing amenities, as well as identifying coordinated strategies to enhance the local economy, address ongoing environmental issues, and improve the overall quality of life for residents. The goal of co-locating neighborhood investments is to build off of the existing activity in the area and capitalize on the effects of the planned improvements. Long term, these coordinated investments are intended to attract residents and visitors to the nodes, further supporting the community's amenities and businesses.
Existing conditions (left) compared to proposed improvements (right) of E. Warren Avenue and Conner Street.
Each Focus Area consists of specific recommendations that will play a part in meeting the community's goals for the Greater Warren/Conner planning area. These are shown in the maps below as white pinpoints, targeting a general location where these strategies may take place.
Neighborhood Stabilization
Access to Everyday Goods and Services
Focus commercial and retail development efforts near residential areas to ensure access to everyday goods and services.
Support Community Amenities
Support for greenway investments like the Canfield Connect, Iron Belle Trail, and Conner Creek Greenway routes in Chandler Park, East Canfield, Fox Creek, and West End will elevate desirability and value of existing properties around them.
Rehabilitate Homes Near Commercial Corridors
Focus stabilization efforts on rehabilitating homes within established housing markets, near neighborhood anchors and along primary commercial corridors.
Implement Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Implement Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) initiatives on vacant parcels to alleviate and reduce flooding impact.
Leverage Local Partnerships
Leverage partnerships and expertise with organizations to provide additional funding and support for home repair and renovations.
Establish A Community Land Trust
Create a community land trust to manage vacant land in Resilience Zones for affordable home ownership, open space, and urban agriculture. Implement community-driven land activation strategies in Fox Creek, Riverbend, and East Canfield Villages. Prioritize infill development at Mack Avenue and Alter Road to maximize existing incentive programs.
Resilience Zones
The Greater Warren/Conner neighborhood has long been negatively affected by flooding, air pollution, and urban heat, and is more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The Plan's recommendations support the need for both new housing options and additional community safeguards from air pollution, environmental disasters, and the cooperative use of vacant land. Resilience Zones are an option for infill development that activate publicly owned vacant land with productive uses. These areas co-locate urban farming, green stormwater infrastructure, public space, trails, and residential development to catalyze targeted areas in the neighborhood, and could be located within the established Targeted Multi-Family Housing Area (TMHA) for additional support.
Views of the "Resilience Zone" neighborhood infill development concept.
Commercial and Economic Development
Invest in Commercial Nodes
Invest in neighborhood commercial nodes to establish local retail and commercial areas with services and stores that enhance the quality of life for residents.
Activate Primary Commercial Nodes
Implement activation efforts first in primary commercial nodes with existing business activity, then underutilized property areas, with food truck vendors, local markets, event programming, infrastructure upgrades, and landscaping enhancements.
Prepare Nodes to be "Redevelopment Ready"
Prepare commercial nodes to be "redevelopment ready" through building demolition and rehabilitation, blight reduction, landscaping, and infrastructure improvements.
Re-Zone Underutilized Properties
Re-zone former school properties slated for demolition to facilitate residential and mixed-use development compatible with surrounding neighborhoods.
Support Local Business Opportunities
Support neighborhood retail opportunities, such as Jack's Party Store, that are being pursued by local community groups to build activated nodes throughout the Greater Warren/Conner neighborhood.
Develop Mixed-Use Centers
Encourage mixed-use development within the targeted multi-family housing area to build retail nodes and take advantage of support programs offered by the City of Detroit.
Invest in Commercial Nodes
Invest in neighborhood commercial nodes to establish local retail and commercial areas with services and stores that enhance the quality of life for residents.
Activate Primary Commercial Nodes
Implement activation efforts first in primary commercial nodes with existing business activity, then underutilized property areas, with food truck vendors, local markets, event programming, infrastructure upgrades, and landscaping enhancements.
Prepare Nodes to be "Redevelopment Ready"
Prepare commercial nodes to be "redevelopment ready" through building demolition and rehabilitation, blight reduction, landscaping, and infrastructure improvements.
Re-Zone Underutilized Properties
Re-zone former school properties slated for demolition to facilitate residential and mixed-use development compatible with surrounding neighborhoods.
Support Local Business Opportunities
Support neighborhood retail opportunities, such as Jack's Party Store, that are being pursued by local community groups to build activated nodes throughout the Greater Warren/Conner neighborhood.
Develop Mixed-Use Centers
Encourage mixed-use development within the targeted multi-family housing area to build retail nodes and take advantage of support programs offered by the City of Detroit.
Mobility and Streets
Support Safe Streets for All
Support Safe Streets for All (SS4A) initiatives and pursue funding to fill gaps in recent transportation improvements.
Improve Safety, Accessibility, and Connectivity
Support pedestrian safety, accessibility, and connectivity throughout the planning area.
Support I-94 Bridge Safety Improvements
Work with MDOT to apply safety improvements to I-94's bridges and service drive.
Plant Highway Tree Buffers
Plant green buffers of native vegetation for sound and pollution reduction on publicly-owned properties along I-94.
Redirect Highway Through-Traffic
Reduce highway through-traffic on residential streets through traffic calming measures and signage.
Add Walking & Biking Paths Along Chandler Park Drive
Implement a new Chandler Park Drive design to create a street that acts as both a connection through the park and as part of the park itself.
Introduce Neighborhood Mobility Hub
Explore the potential for a mobility hub at the intersection of Conner Street and E Warren Avenue to facilitate transit ridership.
Upgrade Bus Stops
Coordinate bus stop improvements with DDOT to include benches, bus stop signs, and route information.
Reduce Truck Route Impacts
Collaborate with city departments, including DPW and DPD, and collaborate with companies operating large vehicles to reduce the impacts of truck routes through the community with industrial buffering standards and enforcement along roadways.
Support Safe Streets for All
Support Safe Streets for All (SS4A) initiatives and pursue funding to fill gaps in recent transportation improvements.
Improve Safety, Accessibility, and Connectivity
Support pedestrian safety, accessibility, and connectivity throughout the planning area.
Support I-94 Bridge Safety Improvements
Work with MDOT to apply safety improvements to I-94's bridges and service drive.
Plant Highway Tree Buffers
Plant green buffers of native vegetation for sound and pollution reduction on publicly-owned properties along I-94.
Redirect Highway Through-Traffic
Reduce highway through-traffic on residential streets through traffic calming measures and signage.
Add Walking & Biking Paths Along Chandler Park Drive
Implement a new Chandler Park Drive design to create a street that acts as both a connection through the park and as part of the park itself.
Introduce Neighborhood Mobility Hub
Explore the potential for a mobility hub at the intersection of Conner Street and E Warren Avenue to facilitate transit ridership.
Upgrade Bus Stops
Coordinate bus stop improvements with DDOT to include benches, bus stop signs, and route information.
Reduce Truck Route Impacts
Collaborate with city departments, including DPW and DPD, and collaborate with companies operating large vehicles to reduce the impacts of truck routes through the community with industrial buffering standards and enforcement along roadways.
Parks and Open Space
Preserve Park Land
Preserve park land for recreational purposes and open space through zoning changes or grants.
Implement Short Term Brewer Park Improvements
Implement the short term, passive improvements to Brewer Park to activate the park and preserve space for future uses.
Implement Long Term Brewer Park Improvements
Implement the long-term amenity and infrastructure improvements to Brewer Park as identified in a future park master plan.
Enhance Neighborhood Connectivity
Enhance neighborhood connectivity and accessibility through a trail system, including the community proposed Canfield Connect trail.
Provide Safe Crossing of East Warren
Ensure safe passage across Warren Avenue and improve connectivity to the neighborhoods north of Brewer Park.
Enhance Existing Trail Visibility
Strategically enhance Iron Belle Trail visibility on Warren Avenue and Conner Creek Greenway on Conner Street through safety features, dedicated bicycle infrastructure, signage, and connections to recreation amenities.
Preserve Park Land
Preserve park land for recreational purposes and open space through zoning changes or grants.
Implement Short Term Brewer Park Improvements
Implement the short term, passive improvements to Brewer Park to activate the park and preserve space for future uses.
Implement Long Term Brewer Park Improvements
Implement the long-term amenity and infrastructure improvements to Brewer Park as identified in a future park master plan.
Enhance Neighborhood Connectivity
Enhance neighborhood connectivity and accessibility through a trail system, including the community proposed Canfield Connect trail.
Provide Safe Crossing of East Warren
Ensure safe passage across Warren Avenue and improve connectivity to the neighborhoods north of Brewer Park.
Enhance Existing Trail Visibility
Strategically enhance Iron Belle Trail visibility on Warren Avenue and Conner Creek Greenway on Conner Street through safety features, dedicated bicycle infrastructure, signage, and connections to recreation amenities.
Climate Resilience and Health Equity
Expand Resilience Hub Network
Invest in existing community buildings to provide resilience hub services.
Provide Opportunities for Urban Farming
Support and expand urban farming practices.
Implement Flood Mitigation Initiatives
Dedicate staff and funding to support flood mitigation initiatives, including the dedication of runoff storage space and green stormwater infrastructure.
Pursue Grants to Reduce Pollution
Pursue federal, state, and local grants to monitor and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Grow the Tree Canopy
Grow the tree canopy along streets and on publicly owned property, using species suitable for filtering particulate matter and reducing air pollution.
Expand Resilience Hub Network
Invest in existing community buildings to provide resilience hub services.
Provide Opportunities for Urban Farming
Support and expand urban farming practices.
Implement Flood Mitigation Initiatives
Dedicate staff and funding to support flood mitigation initiatives, including the dedication of runoff storage space and green stormwater infrastructure.
Pursue Grants to Reduce Pollution
Pursue federal, state, and local grants to monitor and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Grow the Tree Canopy
Grow the tree canopy along streets and on publicly owned property, using species suitable for filtering particulate matter and reducing air pollution.
Contact Us
If you have questions, comments, or general feedback about the Greater Warren/Conner Neighborhood Framework Plan, please feel free to reach out to us at the email address below.
GreaterWarrenConner@detroitmi.gov
Visit the full project website for additional information and updates on the plan.
