Detroit PINK ZONING

Farr Associates is leading one of the three City of Detroit Pink Zoning design teams. “Pink” Zoning refers to a lessening of the red tape that can quickly thwart revitalization initiatives in redeveloping neighbohoroods. The project seeks to identify process inefficiencies, outdated ordinances, and rigid code interpretations that can strangle the most creative place-making projects and resulting in urban environments that fall far short of their potential.

Pink Zoning is targeting three struggling commerical strips, with Farr Associates focusing on redevelopment visions for two sites– East Warren and West Warren. These ideas will then be tested against the City’s existing approval processes to identify how codes or regulations may be changed to make redevelopment simpler. 

Strategies include both development-based and regulatory solutions like Tactical, Lean, and Climax “TLC” Development, as well as a focus on Missing Middle housing– the housing choices that exist between apartments and single family homes that are affordable to working families. Project completion is expected in mid-2017.

Client: City of Detroit

Location: Detroit, MI

Year: 2016