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Detroit's lower east side is among the most rundown parts of the city. But the 10 square miles riddled with blighted buildings and vacant land also is home to some of the city's most stable neighborhoods: Indian Village, English Village and the Berry Subdivision.
Now, community-driven planning is developing a long-term plan that would put the area's inactive land back into productive use.
The Lower Eastside Action Plan, or LEAP, isn't opposing the city's Detroit Works Project, organizers say.
Rather, the outcomes of the plan could be incorporated into the citywide land use plan the Detroit Works Project is developing, and advocates say the LEAP model could be replicated in other parts of the city.
But the Detroit Works Project is in flux. The project aims to consolidate residents into the most viable parts of the city. Critics say the community engagement portion of the project lacks credibility, pointing to meetings that have devolved into chaos and a limited audience interaction format.
The Troy-based Kresge Foundation, which is funding Detroit Works, recently said it and the city are renegotiating the contract of Toni Griffin, the nationally renowned urban planner brought in to lead the process.
Kresge representatives say they're unhappy with some elements of Detroit Works. They say the expiration of Griffin's contract provides a...