Inspired by the Paris Plages temporary urban beach along the Seine, a temporary beach in a park in Downtown Detroit is inspiring the Motor City to rethink its public spaces.
"For the second year in a row, there is a seasonal beach in downtown Detroit complete with sand, colorful seating and umbrellas, a beach bar, and a custom deck," according to an article by Philip Winn for the Project for Public Spaces.
The beach, located at Campus Martius Park, was launched in 2013 with a grant from Southwest Airlines. According to Winn, the beach "is part of a suite of Placemaking initiatives downtown funded and managed by Rock Ventures, the Downtown Detroit Partnership, and the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. These projects embrace the spirit of Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper as they experiment with how to make downtown a more people friendly series of places."
Winn notes that the beach is immensely popular, thanks in part to the design of the space, which includes a deck, a bar, and other amenities. Winn also credits the beach with other placemaking activities around the city.
FULL STORY: Placemaking’s Ripple Effect: How a Beach Downtown is Making Waves in Detroit
With Pop-Up Project, Detroit Becomes a Beach Town
With 150 tons of golf-course bunker sand, the Downtown Detroit Partnership has turned a traffic island at the southern end of the Campus Martius into an urban beach, part of a larger effort to revitalize they city's downtown.
Detroit Making its Streets 'Sticky'
The word "sticky" when applied to the urban design context has come to mean attractive and comfortable—the kind of place that makes people want to stay away and make return visits. Detroit is the latest city to experiment with the concept.
Backers Still Optimistic on Detroit Placemaking
After three years, an ambitious placemaking plan for downtown Detroit has delivered results, but not as quickly as its architects hoped.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie