OPTIMIZING REVITALIZATION PLANNING AND DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR A 

SHRINKING CITY, FLINT, MI 

By 

Shu Yang 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A THESIS 

Submitted to 

Michigan State University 

in partial fulfillment of the requirements 

for the degree of 

Environmental Design-Master of Arts 

2020

ABSTRACT 

OPTIMIZING REVITALIZATION PLANNING AND DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR A 

SHRINKING CITY, FLINT, MI 

By 

 

Shu Yang 

 

Land vacancy is a persistent issue in most urban places in the United States, yet few case 

studies show how vacant lots are used in practice and the functions they serve in local 

communities. The purpose of this study is to optimize revitalization planning through an analysis 

of vacant land redevelopment alternatives and provide a design guideline for the Durant-Tuuri-

Mott (DTM) Target Area in the shrinking city of Flint, MI. This study develops design modules 

in three development scenarios based on their implementation level: 100%, 75%, and 50% 

development scenarios, which fit different budgets and considers the local context to adopt 

different design modules. To generate a comprehensive master plan with a balanced distribution 

of modules, the study also analyzes the surrounding cultural, natural, and built environments and 

conducts community participant process by collecting residents and stakeholders’ opinions. By 

utilizing landscape performance metrics to quantify the environmental, social, and economic 

benefits, this study identifies an ideal optimized development scenario with a comprehensive 

master plan for the reuse and redevelopment of vacant lots across DTM neighborhoods and 

analyzes the benefits of each redevelopment scenario. Furthermore, this study provides a flexible 

design method for balancing objectives in vacant land redevelopment, which can be applied in 

other shrinking cities as well. 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... iv 

LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... v 

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................... 5 
2.1 Declined cities and green space ............................................................................................ 5 
2.2 Current revitalization planning efforts & design guidelines ................................................. 7 
2.3 Landscape performance research .......................................................................................... 9 

 
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 11 
3.1 Study area ............................................................................................................................ 11 
3.2 Existing context of the study area ....................................................................................... 13 
3.3 Design guideline development process ............................................................................... 15 
3.4 Landscape performance measurement ................................................................................ 30 

 
CHAPTER 4. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................ 33 
4.1. Environmental benefits ...................................................................................................... 33 
4.2. Social benefits .................................................................................................................... 35 
4.3. Economic benefits .............................................................................................................. 37 

 
CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................... 42 

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 50 

 

iii 

LIST OF TABLES 

Table 1 Design modules for Theme #1 Enhancing Vacant Lots in Residential Areas ............... 20 

Table 2 Design modules for Theme #2 Public Open Space Development ................................. 22 

Table 3 Detailed Design Features in Design Modules ................................................................ 26 

Table 4 Proposed Developing Area per Development Scenarios ............................................... 27 

Table 5 Development Scenarios for Theme #1 and Theme #2 ................................................... 28 

Table 6 Development Scenarios for Theme #3 ........................................................................... 29 

Table 7 Landscape Performance Metrics .................................................................................... 32 

Table 8 Environmental Benefits .................................................................................................. 33 

Table 9 Social Benefits ............................................................................................................... 36 

Table 10 Economic Benefits ....................................................................................................... 38 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iv 

 

 

LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 1 Location of Study Area ................................................................................................. 11 

Figure 2 Existing Site Condition (a. open green space in neighborhood; b. dilapidated structure 
in a vacant lot) Copyright © Jun-Hyun Kim ............................................................................... 12 

Figure 3 Proximity Map Copyright © Shu Yang ........................................................................ 15 

Figure 4 SWOT Analysis Copyright © Shu Yang ...................................................................... 16 

Figure 5 Design Goals and Objectives Copyright © Shu Yang .................................................. 18 

Figure 6 Design Elements Copyright © Shu Yang ..................................................................... 19 

Figure 7  Master Plan and Development Scenarios Copyright © Shu Yang .............................. 25 

Figure 8 Pollinator Garden Copyright © Shu Yang .................................................................... 34 

Figure 9 Community Garden & Sitting Area in Fall Copyright © Shu Yang ............................ 34 

Figure 10 Community Garden & Sitting Area in Winter Copyright © Shu Yang ...................... 35 

Figure 11 Healing Garden Copyright © Shu Yang ..................................................................... 36 

Figure 12 Food Truck & Dog Park Copyright © Shu Yang ....................................................... 37 

Figure 13 Single Lot Mixed-use in 100% Development Scenario Copyright © Shu Yang ....... 39 

Figure 14 Single Lot Mixed-use in 50% Development Scenarios Copyright © Shu Yang ........ 39 

Figure 15 Single Lot Commercial Copyright © Shu Yang ......................................................... 40 

Figure 16 Multiple Lots Mixed-use in 100% Development Scenario Copyright © Shu Yang .. 40 

Figure 17 Multiple Lots Mixed-use in 50% Development Scenario Copyright © Shu Yang .... 41 

v 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 

Vacant lots are an issue of concern as a city develops. As a result of urban expansion, an 

abundance of vacant lots in a city are generated with negative impacts, such as illegal dumping 

and violent crime, on remaining residents. Consequently, a future revitalization plan for vacant 

properties is required for neighborhoods (Gu et al., 2019; Newman et al., 2016). The City of 

Flint has been struggling with several environmental, social and economic challenges over the 

past decades. It once thrived as the home of the nation’s largest General Motors (GM) plant. 

However, since the 1980s, due to the shrinkage of GM, the city’s economy has started to sharply 

decline from a 1980 high of 159,611 to under 96,000 by 2018 (Scorsone, 2011). Due to the 

economic downturn, the unemployment rate in Flint has been approximately twice as high as the 

statewide rate since 2005 (Palmer, n.d.). Recently, the Flint water crisis, tainted drinking water, 

caused more problems for the city to accelerate population decline  (Flint Water Crisis Fast 

Facts, 2019). One of the most severe issues in Flint today is lot vacancy. With more than 16,000 

vacant parcels, 42% of the total parcels in the city are vacant (Worth-Nelson, 2018). Vacant lots 

would often create places with unwanted vegetation and trash, where activities like hiding illegal 

guns, inviting illegal activities and violent crime (Garvin et al., 2013). In the process of city 

expansion, vacant lots cause remaining residents to disconnect from others in the neighborhoods 

and other thriving areas of the city. Maintenance costs of vacant lots within the area substantially 

increase when illegal dumping makes the area unsafe. Furthermore, vacant lot redevelopment is 

a contested issue in many US cities; while residents expect more green space or parks, municipal 

governments prefer to utilize these lots to generate tax revenue (Pearsall et al., 2014).  

With efforts from multiple organizations including the Genesee County Land Bank 

Authority (GCLBA), the demolitions of abandoned houses in the city have increased from 238 to 

 

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6,599 between 2005-2018 (Genesee County Land Bank Authority). After demolishing abandoned 

structures, there is still work to be done with clean up and maintenance; the clean and green 

program through the GCLBA exists to keep these properties groomed and kept. It is made up of 

63 community groups that maintain 4,100 of these lots every three weeks (Genesee County Land 

Bank Authority). Illegal dumping, blocked sightlines, and limited access from overgrown 

vegetation are the biggest threats to safety on-site (2017 Vacant Property Maintenance Plan, 

n.d.). Existing buildings falling into disrepair, as well as deteriorating sidewalks and roads, are 

also dangerous.  

Current efforts to mitigate vacancy issues have been documented to respond to this 

challenge by increasing economic, environmental, and social benefits. For example, 

Clean+Green lot design recommends the least expensive lot design approaches to the existing 

vacant lots. The design guideline includes improving soil quality and water conservation, 

discouraging illegal dumping, and creating a kid-friendly, pet-friendly social space through 

remediation of the lot (Clean+Green, n.d.). Placemaking is another way to revive public spaces 

and create an emotional connection with community members. Outcomes of successful 

placemaking include enriching quality of life, increasing community sustainability, fostering 

more excellent connectivity, increasing social capital, and so on (What Is Placemaking?, 2017). 

The city with the most significant population in Michigan is Detroit. Detroit also faces 

the same vacancy problems as Flint. According to U.S. Postal Service data, the peak vacancy 

rate in Detroit once reached 22.8%, while the highest residential vacancy rate was 23.6% in 

March of 2015 (Mondry, 2019). In recent years, Detroit’s market vacancy rate has shown a 

positive turn with the resurgence of downtown areas. With more companies locating in Detroit, 

the office vacancy rate continues to decrease, reaching 13.1% in the first quarter of 2019, a drop 

 

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of 0.8% (Mondry, 2019), while the residential vacancy rates dropped to 21.34% in 2019. 

Although the residential vacancy rate from 2018 to September 2019 decreased less than 1 

percent, the total number of vacant residential addresses decreased by 2,239 (Detroit Vacancies 

Decline Over Long-Term, Slow Uptick Recently in Numbers, 2019). In order to keep decreasing 

the number of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties, current strategies include 

strengthening residential neighborhoods and developing the public space inventory, which 

supports the city’s land-use vision.   

To redevelop vacant lots in Detroit, the Detroit Future City (DFC) Field Guide has been 

applied to encourage residents to improve their community along with partnerships with the city. 

The guidelines aim to benefit the residents by improving the aesthetic quality of the community 

as well as providing opportunities for residents to share learning and experiences that empower 

the community. Moreover, the guideline emphasizes the importance of green infrastructures to 

create more spaces for people of all ages to play and interact with friends and neighbors. On the 

aspects of ecology, green stormwater infrastructure such as bioswale, rain gardens, and 

permeable paving help reduce runoff, lower sewerage system costs, and improve the health of 

the Great Lakes ecosystem (DFC Field Guide, 2019). 

While vacant lots bring negative influence for cities, they also work as opportunities for 

people to pause, look around, and invest in the environmental characteristics. In Flint, the 

GCLBA adopted three stages of management plan – maintenance, ripening amenity options, and 

ecological land use design – to plan the future of vacant lots. During the process, mow-to-own 

and transfer of occupancy rights programs were applied to enhance a sense of ownership and 

extend opportunities for legal ownership of property (2017 Vacnt Property Maintenance Plan, 

2018).  

 

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The primary aims of this research are 1) to create and develop a design guideline to 

revitalize a declined community by applying a series of design modules for placemaking, and 2) 

to quantitatively assess design performance with different development scenarios.  

This study reviews several successful vacant lot revitalization case studies, as well as 

reflects future development ideas and demands through community participation processes. This 

study proposes several design modules concerning the maintenance cost, purpose, and benefits 

for planners to choose from. The implementation of a successful placemaking plan from the 

design proposal also provides potential profits and opportunities to future neighborhood 

development (“Evaluating Landscape Performance: A Guidebook for Metrics and Methods 

Selection 2018,” 2018).  

 

 

 

 

4 

 

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 

2.1 Declined cities and green space 

Vacant urban areas have become a significant and ubiquitous phenomenon in the United 

States, especially in the Rust Belt region including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New 

York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia (Gu et al., 2019; Park et al., 2017). They are often 

associated with unmaintained space, filled with trash, and are known as locations where people 

engage in violent crime and conduct illegal activities. Vacant areas represent a security risk to 

cities (Garvin et al., 2013). Many cities located in the U.S. Rust Belt are severely impacted by 

this problem (Gu et al., 2019). Due to reasons like workforce relocation, deindustrialization, and 

suburban expansion, the number of vacant lots continues to increase between city blocks. 

Detroit, MI, Cleveland, OH, and Philadelphia, PA, are examples of cities that have experienced a 

decline of population in the United States. Numerous studies have been conducted on trend of 

declining city and how to revitalize them, and it has been proven that regional planning can be 

one of most effective solutions to address the issue of vacant lots in urban areas (Newman et al., 

2016). 

Since urban vacancy has become a typical problem in recent years, a number of 

researchers have found several social issues associated with these shrinking cities. One study 

determined whether urban elasticity has a significant impact on increased urban vacancy by 

using an exploratory, quasi-experimental longitudinal analysis (Newman et al., 2016). The 

research compared 40 U.S. cities of over 100,000 persons (top 20 elastic and inelastic based on 

expansion in size) from 2000 to 2010 and found that a higher rate of urban expansion causes 

increased urban vacancy, especially in residential land uses. Along with the land-use change in 

declined cities, population dynamics, household dynamics, and dynamics of residential land use 

 

5 

 

are also changing. Young singles are more likely to concentrate in the inner part of the city with 

well-connected public transportation. Elderly couples and families tend to move toward the outer 

parts or peri-urban parts of the town (Haase et al., 2010). Communities with higher 

unemployment rates, a higher ratio of owner-occupied housing stock, and higher non-minority 

populations are likely more vulnerable to increased vacancy (Newman et al., 2016).  

Based on these social phenomena, making an efficient plan to revitalize declined cities is 

an urgent task (Gu et al., 2019). Creating a well-designed built environment is an effective way 

to mitigate the safety problems from vacant lots (J.-H. Kim et al., 2015, 2017). One study in 

Philadelphia tested whether greening can reduce violent crime (Garvin et al., 2013). Researchers 

performed greening, including cleaning the lots, planting grass and trees, and building a wooden 

fence around the perimeter in a randomized controlled trial of vacant lots. Based on the crime 

data from the Philadelphia Police Department and perception from neighborhood participants, 

their results indicated that greening could reduce violent crime and increase perceptions of 

safety.  

A number of previous studies have documented the positive impact of green space to the 

environmental (Park et al., 2017; Sohn et al., 2019), socio-economic (J. H. Kim et al., 2018), and 

public health (J. H. Kim et al., 2014, 2016) benefits in communities. One study estimating 

whether greening interventions have an impact on the mental health of community-dwelling 

adults in Philadelphia demonstrated that for residents living in neighborhoods below the poverty 

line, the greening intervention led to a significant decrease in feeling depressed (South et al., 

2018). Also, Pearsall, Lucas and Lenhardt (2014) highlighted the importance of green space for 

future community development, using vacant lots and a spatial analytical model to document the 

conversion of existing vacant lots to green space. For their final model, they applied percent 

 

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green cover, percent impervious cover, population density, median household income, percent 

minority population, proximity to industrial zones, number of brownfields, and crime rate as 

variables to balance three competing objectives: residential, commercial, and green space.  

Depending on this social phenomenon and previous management strategies, we can roughly 

predict the potential trend of city development and adopt strategies from previous studies.  

 

2.2 Current revitalization planning efforts & design guidelines  

As the largest and most populous city in the state of Michigan, Detroit also faces severe 

decline problems. The Detroit Future City, a nonprofit organization, serves as an independent 

think tank, policy advocate, and innovation engine. It provides policy implementation strategies 

in the DFC Strategic Framework, which is a 50-year guide for decision-making by all Detroit 

stakeholders (DFC Field Guide, 2019). For vacant lots in Detroit, DFC proposes the Field Guide 

to Working with Lots, which includes 38 landscape designs with step-by-step instructions. These 

lot designs aim to create profit for the community through stormwater management, mitigating 

illegal dumping, improving soil quality, and transforming vacant lots into community property. 

Also, residents can find the design that best fits their budget, maintenance level, and experience 

by sorting through the designs.  

In Flint, MI, the GCLBA takes charge of vacant lots revitalization through transferring 

the vacant lots to community settings. With the City of Flint, community groups, and residents’ 

support, the development of the city is following the Imagine Flint Master Plan and the Beyond 

Blight Framework (Genesee County Land Bank Authority, 2019). In order to strengthen the 

sense of community, eliminate blight, provide assistance to revitalize residential neighborhoods, 

and maintain green spaces in neighborhoods, 10 programs in Flint were proposed by GCLBA: 

 

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Planning and Outreach, Brownfield Redevelopment, Development, Adopt-a-Lot, Clean & Green, 

Demolition, Housing Renovation, Sales, Side Lot Transfers and Foreclosure Prevention (Jessics 

O’Neal Hill, 2009). The Planning and Outreach program allows key members of the public to be 

involved in the redevelopment plans. The Adopt-a-Lot and Clean & Green program seeks to 

involve communities and encourage residents to upkeep Land Bank owned land. The Side Lot 

Transfer program encourages people to buy and maintain the land as their yard with a small fee. 

Brownfield Redevelopment and Development program aims to develop the city with Smart 

Growth Principles and increase tax roll from the property. Then, the demolition program helps 

clean up decayed structures, increase visibility and safety, and decrease the crime rate. Housing 

renovation aims to speed up the demolition process and build affordable housing for cities, while 

sales programs propose affordable options for people to purchase housing. Finally, Foreclosure 

Prevention is set up to postpone foreclosure for one or two years for homeowners with 

significant financial hardship.  

The efforts to revitalize the community are implemented in not only Michigan but in 

several communities in the Midwest. For example, Youngstown, in OH, is a typical shrinking 

city in the United States. Its primary industry was steel, with Youngstown housing the third-

largest steel producer in the 19th century. Regrettably, the city was blinded by the success of the 

steel industry and neglected to diversify its economy. With the economic changes in the 1970s, 

the local industry shut down sequentially, homes and properties became abandoned, and the 

crime rate reached its peak, so a new revitalization plan was an urgent task for the city. It is 

worth mentioning that there is only one city publicly proposing the notion of planning for 

shrinking, and it is Youngstown. The Youngstown 2010 Citywide Plan has been well known 

nationally and internationally due to its straightforward method which looks to make 

 

8 

 

Youngstown a better, smaller city and defines its role in the new regional economy. The plan 

was applied by consolidating and reducing residential land uses, separating land uses, and 

increasing parks an open space. As a result, in 2017, the vacancy rate for Youngstown Ohio was 

4.13%, which is 2.05% lower than the U.S average (Youngstown Ohio Residential Rent and 

Rental Statistics, n.d.). Besides the Youngstown 2010 planning, there was a new vision for land 

use strengthening institutional, residential, industrial and business uses while simultaneously 

growing green space, agriculture, and open space use within the city. Comparing the vacant land 

map and the future land use map, numerous vacant lots have been transferred to green space, 

agriculture, and open space uses or held for Industrial “Green” uses (Jessics O’Neal Hill, 2009). 

Now, due to the success of revitalizing plans in Youngstown, Ohio, it has become a model for 

other declined cities. 

 

2.3 Landscape performance research  

Landscape performance research has been widely applied to quantify the performance of 

built landscape projects. It is a method to offer evidence for the success of landscape solutions. 

In the past ten years, the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) has produced over 150 case 

studies with faculty-student research teams, designers, and clients. They normally focus on 

documenting the environmental, social, and economic benefits of high-performing landscape 

projects. Based on these performance measures and evaluation of built projects, designers can 

increase their knowledge, innovate, and elevate the quality of designed landscapes. Also, 

validating and utilizing landscape solutions leads to more effective management, better future 

designs and helps fill the knowledge gap about the value of landscape solutions in the fields of 

policy design and development (Evaluating Landscape Performance: A Guidebook for Metrics 

 

9 

 

and Methods Selection 2018, 2018). Within landscape research, measurements, such as water 

conservation, air quality and carbon sequestration can be directly relevant to vacant lot 

revitalization. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3.1 Study area  

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 

Located at the edge of downtown, the DTM Target Area is a 161.4-acre neighborhood 

with over 30% vacant lots in Flint, MI (See Figure1 and Figure 2). Flint’s rapid early expansion 

benefited from its water proximity and highway network, making it easy to get to and from the 

area by car. In the surrounding neighborhoods including Kettering University and Hurley 

hospital as major stakeholders within DTM who own some of vacant parcels and land on site, the 

current site condition represents severe issues related to neighborhood vacancy. However, the 

target area has some potential to be redeveloped with large amounts of existing open space, a 

good location and accessibility, passionate residents and local organization groups who are 

willing to participate in the community revitalization plan in the future.  

DTM 

 

Figure 1 Location of Study Area 

 

 

11 

 

a 

b 

 

Figure 2 Existing Site Condition (a. open green space in neighborhood; b. dilapidated structure in a vacant 

lot) Copyright © Jun-Hyun Kim 

 

3.1.1. Flint History 

In the 20thcentury, the median income in Flint had once achieved the rank of best in the 

state due to General Motors (GM). However, today, according to new U.S. Census data, there are 

about 43,000 people living in poverty, representing almost half of the population in the city of 

Flint. Demolition of the factories as well as the moving of employees to other factories and 

plants around the state and country were the main reasons of population decrease from the 1980s. 

In 1950, nearly 90 percent of Flint’s earnings were from local GM products. Based on the data 

from MLive-The Flint Journal archives, the population in Flint boomed from 13,000 to over 

156,000 between 1900 and 1930, and in the 1960s the population kept increasing and peaked at 

approximately 200,000 which led to issues of overcrowding of land and housing. Nevertheless, 

in the 1970s, the city started spending federal and local funds buying property and moving 

people and businesses from the St. John Street neighborhood to build an industrial park and 

Interstate 475. This strategy is one of the facts leading to residents’ decrease in Flint.  

 

 

 

 

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3.1.2. Vacancy Trends in Flint, MI 

Increasing vacancy is currently one of the biggest challenges in Flint, MI. According to the 

statistics from the GCLBA, the completed demolition from 2001 to 2018 totaled 6,599 

properties. By 2017, there were approximately 24,000 vacant properties in Flint which is 42% of 

the city’s property. Meanwhile, demolition also consumes a vast chunk of resources. From 2015-

2020, the demolition cost was estimated to be 71.88 million dollars in Flint, MI (2017 Vacant 

Property Maintenance Plan, n.d.). Since most vacant lots are private property and property 

owners are accustomed to abandoning property maintenance, residents, institutions, and the local 

government have to bear the burden of responsibility to mitigate vacancy in Flint.  

 

3.1.3. Social Demographic Status 

According to the report provided by the GCLBA, the current population in the DTM 

neighborhood is 938. The median age in the DTM neighborhood is 28.3, much younger 

compared to Flint’s median age 39.8. However, the median household income in the DTM 

neighborhood is $25,000 which is a little lower than the city level of $26,901, and the 

unemployment rate reaches up to 19%, which is nearly four times higher than Michigan’s. Only 

14% of DTM residents have obtained Bachelor’s, Graduate or Professor degrees, with 24% of 

residents without a high school diploma. 

 

3.2 Existing context of the study area 

Vacant lots take up over 30% of land in the study area. The rest of the site is mainly 

multi-family (25%), education (16%) and single family (11.82%) (Genesee County Land Bank 

Authority). The large vacancy rate disconnects the neighborhood causing the neighborhood to 

 

13 

 

lose a sense of community. A large number of vacant lots also lead to problems which increases 

the risk of the neighborhood’s exposure to crime and other illegal activities. 

 The DTM neighborhood is surrounded by three main streets: Flushing Rd, W 5thAve on 

the north, University Ave on the south, N Chevrolet Ave on the West and Martin Luther King 

Avenue on the East. Among them, Martin Luther King Avenue is one of the main arterial roads 

connecting to the hub of the city. The University Ave features good maintenance and aesthetics, 

connecting Kettering University and the University of Michigan. Based on the data from 

the traffic count map, Flushing Rd has the most vehicles passing per day (approximately 15,000-

20900), since it goes through several residential communities on the Northwest part of the city. 

On the east margin of the site, Interstate 475 (I-475) is another main access road for our site. I-

475 goes through cities including Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Lansing. It has been proposed to have 

an extension to US23 in the southern part of Genesee County, in the future (Fonger, 2009). 

In site, an existing bike trail and bus routes mostly provide access into the surrounding 

universities, neighborhood and downtown. A connected sidewalk network and different street 

hierarchies exists. Overall, sidewalks are in decent conditions with the linear squared off and 

traditional city planned look. However, no pruning plants and lack of maintenance make the 

sidewalks in the neighborhood unwalkable, especially for the elderly and disabled (See Figure 

3).   

 

14 

 

 

Figure 3 Proximity Map Copyright © Shu Yang 

 

3.3 Design guideline development process  

3.3.1. Conceptual Framework 

To conduct this study, seven steps have been involved in the decision-making process to 

develop the final master plan. Then several landscape metrics have been applied to quantify 

benefits of the design proposal focusing on environmental, social, and economic.  

 

3.3.2. Site inventory and initial meeting 

To learn more about local culture and site details, an initial meeting with officers in the 

GCLBA was held in September 2019. After giving a brief introduction about the site context, the 

officers identified 6 major concentration areas, and the current demands and initial ideas for 

future development based on the surrounding land use (See Figure 4). Generally, the 

concentration areas were usable green space located in the place with potential opportunities to 

 

15 

 

develop. Since the neighborhood is closed to downtown, street amenities and infrastructure are 

well completed in main streets. However, illegal dumping, unmaintained plants and limited 

walkability are found as major issues across the neighborhood. Large amount of undeveloped 

open space disconnects the residents with each other. Overall, the city road system and amenities 

are relatively comprehensive. Undeveloped open space offers a significant opportunity to 

revitalize in the future. 

Figure 4 SWOT Analysis Copyright © Shu Yang 

 

 

  

3.3.3. Design Goals and Objectives  

Based on the first community meeting and site analysis, this project has set four major 

goals (See Figure 5): 

1. Revitalization – identify site positioning and optimize the potential value of vacant lots to 

improve surrounding residents’ life quality. To achieve this goal, the final design is developed by 

reviewing Flint’s social context and analyzing the existing land use. With developing more 

commercial space and points of interest, customers and visitors can stimulate local economic 

 

16 

 

development. For residents, diverse amenities will be provided in the public space to encourage 

outdoor activities. Affordable housing will be considered in the development process to attract a 

variety of demographics, especially young people who can make efforts for promoting social 

progress.  

2. Placemaking – explore the features of existing conditions, try to maximize its function for 

surrounding residents with promoting social engagement, health, safety, and enhancing a sense 

of the site. The existing architecture features in the Carriage Town District can be applied in the 

development to emphasize the local community feature. Public space at different scales will fit 

multigenerational population groups. To ensure community members’ well-being, the design 

aims to enhance safety and health of public space by increasing safety features, strengthening 

safety partnerships and improving accessibility of activated green space.  

3. Connectivity – fill the gap caused by vacant parcels, increase the connectivity of space at both 

the site and city level. Due to the vacant lots, remaining residents are disconnected with others 

remaining in the neighborhoods and in other thriving areas in Flint. Providing diverse transit 

modes for citizens will help to mitigate the disconnection. Walking, as a common transit mode, 

should be promoted by providing diverse neighborhood context, improving sidewalk safety and 

visual accessibility, consequently maintaining existing sidewalks and proposing new sidewalks. 

Also, to increase the social connection between residents, various design modules including 

community garden, playground, plaza, event space, healing garden, sitting area and pollinator 

garden can be applied in creating new public open spaces.  

4. Sustainability – promote sustainable development including ecological, social and economic 

perspectives. To achieve the sustainability goal, the final design considers environmentally 

 

17 

 

responsible design and provides a livable environment for the next generations by applying 

environmentally responsive design practices such as rain gardens, bioswale and permeable 

paving. Also, diverse native plants proposed in the final design will not only help improve the 

sense of place but also enhance aesthetic quality.  

Figure 5 Design Goals and Objectives Copyright © Shu Yang 

 

3.3.4. Proposed Design Elements  

 

Specific design elements have been proposed to achieve each goal (See Figure 6). 

Seating, public space, street trees, shade structure, art, and attracting retailers to stimulate the 

economy were implemented to revitalize the community. Elements of placemaking include a 

community garden, playground, games, pet amenities, food truck, plaza, event space, and an 

outdoor gym. The communities’ connectivity will be significantly increased with more lighting, 

added signage, sidewalk, traffic calming, and increased bike use. Also, to promote sustainability, 

 

18 

 

native plants, rain garden, waste management, permeable paving, bioswale, and bee boxes will 

be applied. 

 

Figure 6 Design Elements Copyright © Shu Yang 

3.3.5. Design Guideline  

This project develops a series of design modules for three themes referred to vacant lot 

revitalization (Tables 1 and Table 2). Since the site has a large number of vacant lots (40 acres), 

it is almost impossible to design each parcel. To improve design efficiency, the site is divided 

into three themes based on land use: single-family residential areas, public open spaces, and 

 

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mixed-use developments. For each module, there are two phases showing the site status in 

different periods. The first phase focuses on applying the cost-effect or tactical urbanism 

approach, which includes site cleaning and affordable fundamental amenities. The purpose of the 

first phase is to test if the module functions fit the site. Once the proposed idea for each site in 

phase one gathers community consensus to develop the site permanently, the site enters the 

second phase.  In this phase, the design looks to enhance the sense of place and ownership to 

manage the site by promoting social interaction through community gatherings or events. More 

amenities will be added, such as shade structure and permeable pavement. However, if the site 

does not pass the first phase of the module, new ideas must be explored.  

Table 1 Design modules for Theme #1 Enhancing Vacant Lots in Residential Areas 

Design 
Module 

Description 

Phase 1 

Design Module Proposal 

Phase 2 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healing garden functions as a place 
for people to reduce stress levels 
with live plants and a maze path. 
With native plantings to enhance 
health and recovery, the garden also 
provides community members with 
easy access to live plants and nature 
(Figure 11). 

Pollinator garden features a native 
plant display with habitats for 
endangered species-pollinators. 
Stamp Stools are all recycled from 
the demolition wastes. In order to 
give community members an 
educational opportunity, signage, 
including knowledge about both 
pollinators and native plants, are 
applied in the garden (Figure 8). 

The sitting area with an outdoor 
library provides people a stopping 
point to have a rest, especially for 
the elderly. The outdoor library also 
offers community members a free 
educational chance to enhance 
personal quality and share their 
ideas and books.  

Healing 
Garden 

Pollinator 
Garden 

Sitting Area 

 

 

20 

 

Table 1 (cont’d) 

Community 
Garden 

Playground 

Community garden in the 
residential area provides fresh food 
for community members. Raised 
planters are ideal for people of all 
ages, especially for the elderly.  
Shed and pavilions are also applied 
for convenience. People can make 
friends and communicate with each 
other while they are working 
outside together.  Other than a 
public community garden, the 
residential community garden is for 
residents only, which is more 
private and safer (Figures 9 and 10).  

Playground in residential area give 
an activity space for children at all 
ages, especially for young children. 
Diverse amenities in playground 
can not only enhance parent-child 
relationship, but also increase the 
interactive between children. 
Compared to the public playground, 
it’s safer and closer to home for 
children. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21 

 

Table 2 Design modules for Theme #2 Public Open Space Development 

Design 
Modules 

Description 

Design Module Proposal 

Phase 1 

Phase 2 

 

 

 

 

Public community gardens are 
designed to beautify cities’ 
environments, provide fresh produce 
for families, and strengthen the 
connection between neighbors. With 
plenty of tools and amenities, 
children gain an educational 
opportunity while citizens obtain a 
chance to enjoy healthy outdoor 
exercise. Compared to the 
residential community garden, it has 
more infrastructures, and more 
people are welcomed.   

The dog park design serves as a 
gathering spot for pet owners. 
While the pets are playing, 
community members can exchange 
community information and 
form relationships. The dog park 
allows pets to play in a safe and 
comfortable area, which 
mitigates the damage to private 
property and the risk of dogs 
walking on busy streets. Seats in 
dog parks are all made of materials 
from demolition, and the pawn 
pattern hardcovers in dog 
parks are all permeable pavement. 
(Figure 12). 

The playgrounds in the public open 
space can offer children the 
opportunity to raise skills, including 
social, cognitive, emotional, and 
physical. While children are playing, 
they interact and share with other 
children, and during this, they are 
forming new essential relationships. 
Public playground fits more children 
and equips more facilities than the 
playground in a residential area. 

The sitting area with an outdoor 
library provides people a stopping 
point to have a rest, especially for 
the elderly. The outdoor library also 
offers community members a free 
educational chance to enhance 
personal quality and share their 
ideas and books.  

 

 

 

 

Community 
Garden 

Dog Park 

Playground 

Sitting Area 

 

 

22 

 

Table 2 (cont’d) 

 

Event space is prepared for holidays 
and events. Paver stone grids along 
the sidewalk are implemented for 
food trucks providing food. Game 
amenities, balloons, and shade 
structures are also applied for people 
to have an excellent outdoor 
experience (Figure 12). 

Pollinator garden features a native 
plant display with habitats for 
endangered species-pollinators. 
Stamp Stools are all recycled from 
the demolition wastes. In order to 
give community members an 
educational opportunity, signage, 
including knowledge about both 
pollinators and native plants, are 
applied in the garden. 

Event Space 

Pollinator 
Garden 

 

3.3.6. Design Modules  

 

 

 

As shown Tables 1 and 2 in the above section, based on site context and ideas from the 

community, we proposed three design themes: 1) enhancing vacant lots in residential areas, 2) 

public open space development, and 3) mixed-use development for the community design (see 

Figure 7). The design for vacant lots in residential areas aims to repair broken connections from 

the vacant lots, proposing abundant options at different budgets that can fit throughout the 

residential area. Each of the modules considered residents’ demand and its feasibility with 

detailed design feature (Table 3). Eventually, a healing garden, pollinator garden, sitting area, 

community garden, and playground modules will be developed in a residential area. 

While theme 1 (enhancing vacant lots in a residential area) focuses on small scale vacant 

lots, theme 2 (public open space development) begins to develop larger-scale vacant lots with 

more comprehensive amenities for surrounding residents. All modules look to provide services 

for the community to interact with each other as well as with the environment. Furthermore, 

 

23 

 

public open space can also create a sense of place and provide education opportunities for 

residents. Consequently, modules, including a community garden, dog park, playground, sitting 

area, and event space, are recommended for use in public open space development. 

According to the feedback from the community, this study identified three potential 

mixed-use development sites. This design aims to provide affordable housing options for young 

families with ample amenities, including plaza, seating, and fitness amenities (Figure 13). In 

order to improve surrounding residents’ life quality and convenience, nearby restaurants and the 

commercial business, such as grocery stores on the first floor, will provide various commodities 

(Figures 14 and 15). Moreover, walkability and visibility are also improved by effective 

maintenance, including pruning plants, cleaning trash, and increasing sidewalk accessibility. 

Abundant public space, such as plaza and green space, supply residents with the opportunity to 

have social interactive or enjoy outdoor activities (Figures 16 and 17). After completing all 

module designs, a master plan with balanced design module distribution is generated (Figure 7). 

 

24 

 

 

 

Figure 7  Master Plan and Development Scenarios Copyright © Shu Yang 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

25 

 

Table 3 Detailed Design Features in Design Modules 

 

Community Garden 
(Public) 

Community Garden 
(Residential) 

Dog Park 

Event Space 

Healing Garden 

Playground 
(Public) 

Playground 
(Residential) 

Pollinator Garden 

Sitting Area 

 

Size 

 (sq. ft) 
10,000 
(100%) 

10,000 
(100%) 

10,000 
(100%) 

10,000 
(100%) 
10,000 
(100%) 

10000 
(100%) 

10000 
(100%) 

10,000 
(100%) 
10,000 
(100%) 

Grass  
(sq. ft) 
2,650 

Bioswale 

(sq. ft) 

195 

Shrub  
(sq. ft) 

510 

(26.50%) 

(1.95%) 

（5.10%) 

2,345 

300 

4,305 

(23.45%) 

(3.00%) 

(43.05%) 

1,915 

0 

200 

(19.15%) 

(0.00%) 

(2.00%) 

6,950 

(69.5%) 

5,195 

0 

(0.00%) 

500 

0 

(0.00%) 

1,150 

(51.95%) 

(5.00%) 

(11.50%) 

3,640 

(36.40%) 

2,315 

(23.14%) 

715 

（7.15%） 

320 

（3.20%） 

1,960 

(19.60%) 

4,305 

(43.05%) 

3,700 

270 

4,875 

(37.00%) 

（2.70%） 

(48.75%) 

3,810 

270 

4,566 

(38.10%) 

（2.70%） 

(45.66%) 

3.3.7. Development Scenarios 

Permeable Paving 

Canopy Size  

(sq. ft) 
4,455 

(44.55%) 

3,050 

(30.50%) 

7,000 

(70.00%) 

3,050 

(30.50%) 

3,900 

(39.00%) 

2,450 

(24.50%) 

2,960 

(29.60%) 

1,160 

(11.60%) 

1,360 

(13.60%) 

(sq. ft) 
2430 

(24.30%) 

3070 

(30.70%) 

0 

(0.00%) 

3,125 

(31.25%) 

3,760 
(37.60) 

5,345 

(53.45%) 

3,800 

(38.00%) 

3,500 

(35.00%) 

3,816 

(38.16%) 

To quantify landscape performance benefits, this study projects three development 

scenarios: 100%, 75%, and 50% site development in regarding to the community’s future 

financial social status and existing site conditions (see Tables 5 and Table 6). In 100% 

development scenarios the design will develop all the existing vacant lots, while 75% and 50% 

development scenarios will revitalize sites with priority. 75% development is based on the 

prediction of the 73.4% of the existing vacant lots will be developed, and the threshold of 50% 

development scenario is based on the existing vacancy conditions which approximately 46.7% of 

the existing vacant lots are ready to redevelopment by no abandoned structure on each lot (See 

Table 4). For example, the vacant lots with green space and without pre-existing structures will 

be the first priority. However, the lots with abandoned structures, may be revitalized later, as it 

may cost money to demolish the structure and clean the site. They will be developed, however, 

once stakeholders are fully funded. Additionally, each theme emphasizes specific functions 

 

26 

 

serving the local community. For residential themes, 19.5% of the area is devoted to low impact 

development (LID) practices, including bioswale and permeable paving. For social gatherings, in 

a 100% development scenario, 80% of the area in the public open space theme is identified as an 

activity area (space that invites activities such as seating, walking and exercising, including 

permeable pavement and grass area), while 20% of the area is preserved as scenery areas (a 

space aesthetics with no access for activities) to improve the aesthetic quality in the community. 

To accommodate multigenerational population groups, the mixed-use development theme also 

applies diverse housing types based on affordability.17% of the area is proposed to be filled with 

duplexes (Figure 17), apartments (Figure 16), and townhouses to support low-income, disabled, 

and elderly groups in the 100% development scenario. 

Table 4 Proposed Developing Area per Development Scenarios 

Development Scenarios 

Existing vacant area 

(sq. ft) 

Proxy number 

Theme 1 

(sq. ft) 

Theme 2 

(sq. ft) 

Theme 3 

(sq. ft) 

100% 

75% 

50% 

1,932,245 

100.0% 

1,089,801 

420,832 

421,612 

73.4% 

46.7% 

799,913.9 

308,890.7 

309,463.4 

508,937.1 

196,528.5 

196,892.9 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

27 

Sitting Area 

87,532 

33,350 

Community Garden 

9,386 

Dog Park 

Event Space 

Playground 

158,741 

110,325 

34,000 

26,977 

Pollinator Garden 

117,277 

Sitting Area 

74,451 

Community Garden 

Healing Garden 

Playground 

80,963 

53,466 

46,389 

Sitting Area 

65,649 

25,012 

Community Garden 

7,040 

Dog Park 

Event Space 

Playground 

Pollinator Garden 

Sitting Area 

Community Garden 

Healing Garden 

Playground 

25,500 

119,056 

82,744 

20,233 

87,958 

55,838 

53,976 

35,644 

30,926 

7,365 

32,544 

21,274 

12,657 

18,517 

7,159 

2,487 

6,511 

9,820 

43,392 

28,366 

18,986 

27,776 

10,739 

1,865 

4,883 

2,363 

183 

0 

0 

1,929 

3,166 

2,010 

2,429 

2,673 

1,484 

39,967 

479 

680 

0 

5,287 

57,173 

33,994 

34,855 

6,149 

19,970 

1,773 

137 

0 

0 

1,447 

2,375 

1,508 

1,619 

1,782 

990 

29,975 

359 

510 

0 

3,966 

42,879 

25,496 

23,236 

4,099 

13,314 

Pollinator Garden 

570,884 

211,227 

15,414 

278,306 

Pollinator Garden 

380,589 

140,818 

10,276 

185,537 

Sitting Area 

43,766 

16,675 

1,182 

19,984 

Community Garden 

4,693 

Dog Park 

Event Space 

Playground 

Pollinator Garden 

Sitting Area 

17,000 

79,371 

13,489 

58,639 

37,226 

1,244 

3,256 

55,162 

4,910 

21,696 

14,183 

92 

0 

0 

964 

1,583 

1,005 

239 

340 

0 

2,644 

28,586 

16,997 

32,925 

27,802 

18,308 

88,297 

11,904 

4,181 

23,800 

48,416 

6,609 

13,604 

10,125 

24,694 

20,852 

13,731 

66,222 

8,928 

3,136 

17,850 

36,312 

4,957 

10,203 

7,594 

16,463 

13,901 

9,154 

44,148 

5,952 

2,091 

11,900 

24,208 

3,305 

6,802 

5,063 

33,141 

26,804 

23,504 

266,412 

33,402 

2,281 

0 

49,607 

14,419 

41,047 

28,411 

24,856 

20,103 

17,628 

199,809 

25,052 

1,711 

0 

37,205 

10,814 

30,785 

21,308 

16,570 

13,402 

11,752 

133,206 

16,701 

1,140 

0 

24,803 

7,210 

20,523 

14,205 

 

Table 5 Development Scenarios for Theme #1 and Theme #2 

Theme 

Module Applied 

Total Area  

(sq. ft) 

Grass 
(sq. ft) 

Bioswale 

(sq. ft) 

Shrub 
 (sq. ft) 

Permeable 

Paving 
(sq. ft) 

Canopy Size  

(sq. ft) 

Community Garden 

107,951 

Healing Garden 

Playground 

71,288 

61,852 

25,315 

37,034 

14,319 

3,239 

3,564 

1,979 

46,473 

8,198 

26,627 

Pollinator Garden 

761,178 

281,636 

20,552 

371,074 

100% 

Theme #1  
Residential 

Theme #2  
Public 
Open 
Space 

75% 

Theme #1  
Residential 

Theme #2  
Public 
Open 
Space 

50% 

Theme #1  
Residential 

Theme #2  
Public 
Open 
Space 

 

28 

 

Table 6 Development Scenarios for Theme #3 

Theme 

Module Applied 

Size 

(sq. ft) 

Grass 
(sq. ft) 

Bioswale 

(sq. ft) 

Shrub  
(sq. ft) 

Permeable Paving  

Canopy Size 

Building Area  

(sq. ft) 

(sq. ft) 

(sq. ft) 

100% 

Single lot mixed-use 

61,050 

25,056 

890 

3,816 

Asphalt 

17,389 

Brick 

Wood 

Single lot 
commercial 

Multiple lots mixed-
use 

75% 

118,872 

51,511 

0 

3,962 

Concrete 

241,690 

72,096 

4,700 

8,104 

Concrete 

Asphalt 

Asphalt 

Wood 

Single lot mixed-use 

61,050 

27,765 

890 

2,289 

asphalt 

17,590 

8,700 

Retail 

8,293 

Apartment 

16,585 

6,191 

Retail 

17,336 

Retail 

72,610 

Apartment 

55,414 

86,021 

Garage 

136,231 

6,639 

Retail 

8,293 

Apartment 

16,585 

4,128 

Retail 

17,336 

Retail 

65,246 

Apartment 

garage 

6,639 

Retail 

apartment 

34,947 

56,525 

99,967 

8,013 

8,013 

4,128 

Retail 

17,336 

Retail 

6,685 

48,338 

Duplex 

39,493 

4,833 

3,715 

248 

42,101 

7,857 

18,811 

3,332 

4,986 

3,715 

248 

42,101 

6,911 

432 

42,332 

17,387 

4,083 

3,715 

248 

42,101 

6,922 

1,152 

6,922 

brick 

wood 

asphalt 

asphalt 

brick 

wood 

Theme #3 
Mixed-use 
Development 

Single lot 
commercial 

Multiple lots mixed-
use 

50% 

118,872 

51,511 

0 

3,962 

concrete 

241,690 

109,347 

6,255 

11,221 

concrete 

asphalt 

brick 

Single lot mixed-use 

61,050 

27,536 

890 

2,239 

Single lot 
commercial 

Multiple lots mixed-
use 

118,872 

51,511 

0 

3,962 

concrete 

241,690 

137,459 

4,258 

7,857 

asphalt 

brick 

concrete 

asphalt 

 

29 

 

3.4 Landscape performance measurement  
 

The proposed functional green space analyzed in this section includes all new proposed 

green space, such as rain gardens, bioswales, tree canopy, grass, and shrubs. I-tree Eco Version 6 

(I-tree) was used to calculate the benefits of CO2 sequestration and air pollution removal (iTree 

Eco, n.d.). The process of I-tree Eco is designed to quantify urban forest structure and 

environmental effects, and value to communities using detailed field data from complete 

inventories or randomly sampled plots. The benefits of stormwater runoff reduction and 

groundwater recharge were calculated using the National Stormwater Calculator (EPA National 

Stormwater Calculator, 2019). The gathering space’s capacity was determined using personal 

space design guideline for hosting events (Heskey, n.d.) and the total area of the proposed plaza 

space in mixed-use modules and the event space area in the public open space theme. The 

proposed green spaces consist of two main categories including activity and scenery areas. The 

proposed activity area is defined as the space for inviting activities such as seating, walking and 

exercising, including permeable pavement and grass areas. The scenery area defines a space 

purely for offering aesthetics with no access for activities. It is designed with shrubs and 

bioswale, making the area inaccessible. For social benefits, safety enhancement is based on the 

spots of the sidewalk proposed to maintain, proposed new sidewalk, and crosswalk. For 

quantifying economic benefit, community garden profits are calculated by multiplying the 

production value per the square footage of the planting area by the planting area proposed. In 

addition, the study measures rental income, increased tax revenue, water conservation, and 

maintenance reduction. Calculating the income from rental and tax uses the property size 

multiply rent or tax revenue for each property type. The benefits of water conservation are 

quantified by the reduced stormwater volume multiplied by the water cost based on the Flint city 

 

30 

 

water bill. Maintenance reduction is calculated by comparing the maintenance costs between 

using grass and native plants and multiplying this by the planting area (Table 7). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31 

 

Table 7 Landscape Performance Metrics 

Benefits 
Environmental 

Metrics 

Needed Data for Measurement  Units 

Resources 
 

CO2 
sequestration 

Reduced amount 
of CO2 

Air pollution 
Removal 

Stormwater 
runoff 
reduction and 
groundwater 
recharge 
increase 

Social 

Gathering 
space increase 

Safety 
enhancement 

Economic 

Rental Income 

Community 
garden profit 

Cost savings of 
removing air 
pollution 

Groundwater 
recharge 
(infiltration) 
Percent of wet 
days retained 
Smallest rainfall 
w/o runoff 
Largest rainfall 
w/o runoff 
Max rainfall 
retained 

Capacity of 
gathering space 

Increased scenery 
area 
Increased activity 
area 
Sidewalk 
maintenance 
New sidewalk 
Amount of 
crosswalk added 

Increased 
apartment rent 
income 
Increased office 
rent income 
Increased retail 
rent income 

Increased profit 
from community 
garden 

Tree species 
DBH (in) 
Land use  
Height (ft) 
Tree species 
DBH (in) 
Land use  
Height (ft) 

Soil type/drainage 
Topography (slope) 
Precipitation/ Evaporation 
Land cover 
LID controls 

Area of gathering space (sq.ft) 
Space for each guest 
(sq.ft/person) 

Area of scenery area  

Area of activity area 

Length of sidewalk maintained 

Length of new sidewalk added 
Amount of pedestrian crossing 
added 

(USDA Forset Service, 2018) 

(EPA, 2019) 

lb/year 

$/ year 

in/ year 

% 

in 

in 

in 

 

person 

(Heskey, 2020)  

sq.ft 

sq.ft 

ft  

ft  

EA 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

n/a 

 

Apartment area (sf) 
Apartment rent ($/sf/month) 

$/month 

(RentCafe, 2020) 

Office area (sf) 
Office rent ($/sf/year) 
Retail area (sf) 
Retail rent ($/sf/year) 

Planting Area (sf) 
Profit ($/sf) 

$/ year 

(LoopNet, 2020) 

$/ year 

(LoopNet, 2020) 

$ 

(Landscape Performance Series, 
2013) 

Increased tax 
revenue 

Tax appraisal 
value 

Retail area (sf) 
Retail tax revenue ($/sf/year) 

$/ year 

(Bridge, 2015) 

Water 
conservation 

Supply water 
saving cost 

Water saved (gal/year) 
Water cost ($/gal) 

Maintenance 
reduction 

Maintenance cost 
savings 

Cost maintenance for natural 
plants ($/ac) 
Cost maintenance for native 
plants($/ac) 
Planting area (ac) 

$ 

$ 

(MLive, 2019) 
(Wisely, 2016) 

(Hahn, 2016) 
 

 

32 

 

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS  

4.1. Environmental benefits 
 

To estimate environmental benefits, this study quantified stormwater runoff reduction 

and groundwater recharge increase, CO2 sequestration, and air pollution removal as categories 

(see Table 8). The annual CO2 sequestration showed 25,538.2 lb in 100% development scenario, 

while it is reduced to 19,153.65 lb and 12,769.1 lb in the 75% and 50% development scenarios 

respectively. The benefits of annual air pollution removal in 100%, 75% and 50% development 

scenarios are $3,136.77, $2,352.58 and $1,568.39 respectively. The design proposal represents a 

significant increase in annual groundwater recharge (3,481 inches in 100% development 

scenario, 2,610.75 in 75% development scenario, and 1,740.5 in 50% development scenario). 

The percent of wet days retained are 85%, 63.75%, 42.5% in 100%, 75% and 50% development 

scenarios, respectively. The maximum rainfall retained in the 100%, 75%, and 50% development 

scenarios showed 213 in, 159.75 inches, and 106.5 inches. 

 
Table 8 Environmental Benefits 
 

Environmental 

Benefits 

Variables 

100% Scenario 

75% Scenario 

50% Scenario 

Results 

Results 

Results 

CO2 sequestration 

Reduced amount of CO2 

25,538.2 lb/year 

19,153.65 lb/year 

12,769.1 lb/year 

Air pollution Removal 

Stormwater runoff 
reduction and groundwater 
recharge increase 

Cost savings of removing 
air pollution 
Groundwater recharge 
(infiltration) 

Percent of wet days retained 

Smallest rainfall w/ runoff 

Largest rainfall w/o runoff 

Max rainfall retained 

$3136.77 /year 

$2,352.58 /year 

$1,568.39/year 

3481 in/year 

2610.75 in/year 

1740.5 in/year 

85% 

29 in 

200 in 

213 in 

63.75% 

21.75 in 

150 in 

42.50% 

14.5 in 

100 in 

159.75 in 

106.5 in 

 
 

 

33 

 

Figure 8 Pollinator Garden Copyright © Shu Yang 

Figure 9 Community Garden & Sitting Area in Fall Copyright © Shu Yang 

 

34 

 

 

 

Figure 10 Community Garden & Sitting Area in Winter Copyright © Shu Yang 
 
 
4.2. Social benefits 

 

The social benefits include 6 variables of the benefits (see Table 9). In 100% 

development scenario, the new gathering space can accommodate 9,356 people in the 100% 

development scenario and could accommodate 6,704 and 4,635 people in the 75% and 50% 

scenarios. The proposed scenery area (524,219 sq.ft. in the 100% development scenario, 417,783 

in 75% development scenario and 281,317 in 50% development scenario) and activity area 

(986,414 sq.ft in 100% development scenario, 944,045 sq.ft. in 75% development scenario and 

724,432 in 50% development scenario) are both expanded. Based on the existing sidewalk 

conditions, there are 11,875 ft of existing sidewalks needing maintenance, and 85 crosswalks are 

added in all three scenarios. The proposed new and existing sidewalks could be expected to bring 

benefits of enhancing safety and preventing traffic accidents. According to the Measuring the 

Street report, by increasing traffic calming in East 180th street in New York, there is a 67% 

 

35 

 

decrease in pedestrian crashes (“Measuring the Street: New Metrics for 21st Century Streets,” 

2013).  

Table 9 Social Benefits 
 

Social 

Benefits 

Variables 

100% Scenario 

75% Scenario 

50% Scenario 

Results 

Results 

Results 

Capacity of gathering space 

9,358 people 

6,704 people 

4635 people 

Capacity of gathering space 

Increased scenery area 

524,219 sq. ft 

417,783 sq. ft 

281,317 sq. ft 

Increased activity area 

986,414 sq. ft 

944,045 sq. ft 

724,432 sq. ft 

Sidewalk maintenance 

11,875 ft 

11,875 ft 

11,875 ft 

Safety enhancement 

New sidewalk 

3,250 ft 

Amount of crosswalk added 

85 EA 

3,250 ft 

85 EA 

3,250 ft 

85 EA 

 
 

Figure 11 Healing Garden Copyright © Shu Yang 
 

 

 

36 

 

 

Figure 12 Food Truck & Dog Park Copyright © Shu Yang 
 
4.3. Economic benefits 
 

Calculating the benefits of economic aspects includes rental income, tax revenue 

increase, water conservation, and maintenance reduction (See Table 10). The result also showed 

that the design proposal could bring economic benefits from community gardens ($68,038 in 

100% development scenario, $51,028 in 75% development scenario, and $34,018 in 50% 

development scenario). The total income of rents is the sum of apartment rent income, office 

rental income, and retail rent income. In the 100% development scenario, the apartment rent 

income reaches $73,223/month, while it reaches $53,370.3/month and $24,679.4/ month in the 

75% development scenario and 50% development scenario (Figures 13, 14, 15,16 and 17). 

Office space is not proposed in the design proposal considering the existing site context and 

future demands, but the office rent income in the DTM neighborhood is approximately $9.5/sq. 

ft. /year, which can be used in the future design benefit calculation. Tax revenue from retail 

 

37 

 

reaches $2,026,050/year in the 100% development scenario, while it reaches $111,054/year and 

$58,727/year in the 75% and 50% development scenarios. Water conservation helps save 

$23,536,589/year in the 100% development scenario and can save $19,100,856/year and 

$14,316,750/year in the 75% and 50% development scenarios. The design proposal indicates that 

even the 50% development scenario can contribute to saving $35,024 per year in maintenance 

costs. If the project adopts the 100% development scenario, it can save up to $40,970 per year. 

Besides, the maintained sidewalks and new proposed crosswalks can save vehicle gas costs and 

bring health benefits. According to the Economic Value of Walkability report, shifting from 

driving to walking can save gas costs of 25 cents per vehicle-mile. Under urban-peak conditions, 

50 cents per vehicle mile can be saved. In the health aspects, walking can bring $0.48 per mile 

benefits by reducing hospital costs (Litman, 2008). 

 

Table 10 Economic Benefits 

Economic 

Benefits 

Variables 

100% Scenario Results 

75% Scenario 

Results 

50% Scenario Results 

Increased apartment 
rent income 

Increased office rent 
income 
Increased retail rent 
income 
Increased profit from 
community garden 

$73,223/month 

$53,370.3/month 

$34,679.38/month 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

$148,577/month 

$111,054/month 

$58,727/month 

$68,038 

$51,028 

$34,019 

Tax appraisal value 

$2,026,050/year 

$1,514,375/year 

$800,825/year 

Supply water saving 
cost 

$23,536,589/year 

$ 19,100,856 /year 

$14,316,750/year 

Rental income 

Community 
garden profit 
Increased tax 
revenue 
Water 
conservation 

Maintenance 
reduction 

Maintenance cost 
savings 

$40,970  

$35,024  

$28,370  

 
 

 

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Figure 13 Single Lot Mixed-use in 100% Development Scenario Copyright © Shu Yang 
 

Figure 14 Single Lot Mixed-use in 50% Development Scenarios Copyright © Shu Yang 

 

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Figure 15 Single Lot Commercial Copyright © Shu Yang 
 

Figure 16 Multiple Lots Mixed-use in 100% Development Scenario Copyright © Shu Yang 
 

 

40 

 

 

 

Figure 17 Multiple Lots Mixed-use in 50% Development Scenario Copyright © Shu Yang 
 

 

 

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CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 

Urban vacancy has become a typical problem in city development processes in recent 

years. It is often the result of deindustrialization, workforce relocation, and suburban expansion 

(Kremer et al., 2013). In addition, over-expansion of cities is more likely to cause decline in the 

urban core (Newman et al., 2016). Urban designers have access to studies on typical declined 

cities in the United States which elucidate social phenomenon and regular patterns of declined 

cities, while case studies within sustainable practices applied in the vacant lots also serve as 

valuable reference materials. The study site, the DTM Target Area in the city of Flint, MI, can 

benefit from previous models as it confronts land vacancy problems. As job opportunities 

declining property conditions worsened over time. By 2017, there were approximately 24,000 

vacant properties in Flint - 42% of the total city’s property - and the demolition costs became a 

huge encumbrance for the city budget (2017 Vacant Property Maintenance Plan, 2017).  

The purpose of this study is to propose a master plan which aims to optimize 

revitalization planning and provide a design guideline for future DTM neighborhoods 

developments. The master plan conducts a balanced distribution of several design modules by 

analyzing surrounding land use in addition to residents’ feedback from the community 

participatory decision-making process; feedback obtained through a series of design charrettes 

and community engagement activities. The final design proposal includes three development 

scenarios following the projected development density (100%, 75%, and 50% scenarios). For 

each scenario, the master plan presents three main themes: residential, public open space and 

mixed-use development. For each theme, 12 design modules in total have been identified based 

on on-site analysis and research. Relying on landscape performance research to quantify benefits 

of the final design proposal, this study documents several benefits in three major dimensions: 

 

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environmental, social, and economical benefits. With an increase in functional green space, the 

environment will be improved through stormwater runoff reduction (3,481 in/year), CO2 

sequestration (25,538.2 lb/year), and pollution removal ($3,631.77/year) in the 100% 

development scenario. To enhance the sense of community, the design proposal offers several 

social benefits by providing more gathering space and community gardens (2.69 acres), which 

offer residents more opportunities to interact with community members. To address safety 

concerns, proposed traffic calming devices, new sidewalks, and enhanced sidewalk maintenance 

would encourage people to be engaged in outdoor activities safely and comfortably. In terms of 

economics, rental income, tax revenue, and maintenance reduction would be expected to 

significantly increase the economic income. In the meantime, water conservation and vehicle gas 

cost reduction also help decrease future expenses. However, the study still has some limitations: 

first, landscape performance research is always conducted on built projects, but this project is a 

projected project; second, the project does not draw comparisons with baseline scenarios, since 

the baseline scenario’s data is not comprehensively provided; third, the decision process will be 

very long, since there are multiple stakeholders in the site. 

Overall, the proposed design guideline will allow the neighborhood to maintain its place 

in the community and become a safe, healthy, and welcoming space in the future. Furthermore, 

future studies could actively engage with more design module options and draw greater 

connections between modules while considering site context of development pace and economic 

growth. Developing design modules with various scenarios allows planning to be more flexible 

for residents; these modules can then be used as a reference for the design of large-scale vacant 

lots in the future. The impact of the project will contribute not only to neighborhood’s future 

 

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development but will expand outward into the whole city of Flint and to other struggling areas 

that face similar vacant lots problems. 

 

 

 

 

 

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