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.

1 minute read

May 29, 2017, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Campus Martius

The sandy beach at Campus Martius, in downtown Detroit. | Daniel Lobo / Flickr

"A good downtown needs more than stadiums and skyscrapers. It also needs all the sidewalk-level stuff that, down on the human scale, engages people and makes them want to come back for more," according to an article by John Gallagher that explains the "stick" concept to the Detroit audience.

The latest example of "sticky" street amenities opened in Detroit month, writes Gallagher: "a short pathway or 'esplanade' running down the median on Woodward Avenue from Campus Martius south to Larned."

To supplement the lessons offered by Gallagher's sources, see also a blog post by Brent Toderian in 2014.

Friday, May 26, 2017 in Detroit Free Press

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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