Nov. 22, 2011

Research being conducted by SNRE Assistant Professor Beth Diamond in the Heidelberg Cultural Village area of Detroit is featured in a report on the Fox News Channel University Network. Diamond is the lead designer on the project, which is working to implement a vision for arts-based neighborhood redevelopment for Detroit.

The Heidelberg project is a case study in transforming an economically ravished neighborhood into a locally- focused, art- based community that aims to be self- sustaining. Detroit's "Black Bottom" district provides a unique setting to explore the proposition of art as a catalyst for the cultural diversity and urban sustainability. The future Cultural Village will integrate ecological design with art as a medium of social engagement that provides a voice through which the community can reclaim the city as their own.

Supporting this driving force is urban agriculture and sustainable building practices that are intended to employ local residents and educate youth with apprenticeship programs in green construction.

Heidelberg also been the focus of a recent art exhibit and an SNRE master's project. The master's group project, "Urban Revitalization through Art, Community and Ecology: The Heidelberg Project," included a participatory public art event as part of a plan for redevelopment. The plan includes sites for artists' residences and work spaces, an urban farm and market, and a healing garden.

The art exhibit, curated by Diamond, recently appeared at Work Detroit, in the heart of Detroit's cultural community. Work-Detroit is a space for the sharing of creative process and dialogue.

Beth Diamond faculty website: http://www.snre.umich.edu/profile/bdiamond

Link to the video: http://www.foxnews.com/fncu/current-interns/blog/2011/11/22/fearless-um-...