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.
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Planning for Universal Design
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North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research