In CASL’s Mapping Unequal Environments in the Motor City class, social and environmental justice themes sprang to life.
Students explored Detroit-area neighborhoods and used integrated data to identify environmental concerns. The end product identified alleyways and parks needing improvement. Their findings assisted in developing nature-based solutions.
This project not only helped students build skills in problem-solving, creative thinking and communication, but also directly impacted the local community by transforming alleyways into sustainable green spaces.
Toward the end of the course, the class was divided into six teams, each given one of the Detroit-area neighborhoods they’d visited throughout the semester to study. They were tasked with considering strategies to improve the quality of life in the community. For example, students who studied the South End Dearborn community recommended planting more trees in the area, mainly because the neighborhood lacks a tree canopy and has poor air quality.
By turning learning into practice, students developed real-world solutions to real-time problems.
