Detroit Fitzgerald Revitalization Project

Detroit’s decreasing population over the last 50 years has led to overgrown vacant lots, abandoned homes crumbling into disrepair and foreclosure, and increased social inequities. Disinvestment to this level drains city resources and poses threats to neighborhood safety.

Trust for Public Land saw beyond a declining Detroit and recognized immense potential among these desolate areas, including parks and opportunities for outdoor recreation. We worked with city leaders, urban planners, and neighborhood groups to revamp neglected open spaces for community use by offering community engagement support, technical assistance on landscaping strategies, and creative placemaking to ensure any new space showcased the vibrancy and history of Detroit.

We began our work repurposing 10 acres of dispersed, vacant land into the Ella Fitzgerald Park, named after the famed jazz singer who played more than 100 concerts in Detroit. We helped commission local artist Hubert Massey to create stunning murals that tell the story of the culture and community within the Fitzgerald neighborhood.

We listened to what residents wanted to see in their local park and worked with our local partners to make it happen. Now, Ella Fitzgerald Park shines bright with wide-open green spaces, a jungle gym, a basketball court, beautiful murals, newly surfaced streets and sidewalks, and large-scale street graphics that pay homage to Ella Fitzgerald’s song “Dream and Little Dream.” This stunning park was also recognized in 2017 with a Professional Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects for inspiring equitable and innovative landscape-driven approaches to revitalization.