Eastside Neighborhood Vision

The Eastside community has a very diverse range of people living there with different interests, concerns, and issues. Something that could bring all of these people together is urban gardening. Putting urban gardens in abandoned lots or in unused spaces transforms the area drastically. In New Kingston Philadelphia, improving vacant lots increased property values by 30%. In the Eastside neighborhood, there are many places where urban gardens could be implemented. With community support, the gardens will flourish on the Eastside and have many benefits for the community. They provide residents with access to healthy and fresh produce, strengthen community ties, promote sustainable agriculture, reduce crime, and they also create habitats, and improve the ecology of the area such as improving the soil and air quality.

The current walkability of the Eastside is not ideal. First of all the sidewalks are cracked, and uneven, and some parts even have large trees growing out of them. This makes it hard for pedestrians to walk through the area and use it to its full potential. Secondly, the Michigan Ave corridor is very hard to navigate for a pedestrian. There are not many places to cross the road, and where there are places to cross the road, they are not geared towards pedestrians. There are no audible or visual countdowns, cross buttons, outlined crosswalks, or pedestrian signs. Throughout the first half of the Michigan Ave corridor that stretches through East Lansing, there are clearly marked places to cross the road, as well as places where the traffic stops for pedestrians. If this was implemented farther down the corridor too, pedestrians would be a lot more comfortable walking around the area. With more foot traffic the whole neighborhood will benefit, both the businesses and residents

Rain Gardens are starting to be implemented all across the United States and other countries. Rain Gardens improve the aesthetic of neighborhoods, purify the air, improve street drainage, and provide a barrier between pedestrians and cars, essentially improving safety. When surveyed, people in the Eastside of Lansing neighborhood, thought rain gardens were important to implement in the community. Unfortunately for the residents, on the Michigan Ave corridor, there are not many spaces that currently have proper rain gardens. The gardens should be consistently implemented down the corridor and will in turn make the neighborhood more aesthetically pleasing, safer, and eco-friendly. In the survey mentioned earlier, we also discovered that many people don’t think the sidewalks in the Eastside are safe. Reducing water on the sidewalks and streets and putting more space in between pedestrians and vehicles will improve the safety of residents while also benefitting the ecosystem.

The eastside does not feel particularly walkable for civilians. This sense is molded by many contributing factors: a lack of development, decrepit buildings, shut down businesses, and run-down roads. While Michigan is notorious for potholes, this area is also struggling with basic safety road maintenance for civilians who walk to get to their destination. In our field study, we found that many crosswalks are faded to extreme conditions – either barely visible or no longer visible at all. Not only does this create confusion and uncertainty for pedestrians, but it also impacts their overall safety.

We witnessed many near-accidents where drivers did not acknowledge walking pedestrians and did not notice the cross walk. We also witnessed many people crossing in the middle of busy streets, indicating that more crosswalks should be created with consideration of these high-traffic walking areas. We particularly noticed that many pedestrians were crossing the road in front of Sparrow hospital.

Most importantly, we found that many sidewalks are missing an essential feature to keep the community accessible and safe: truncated domes and detectible warning pavers. Tactile paving is essential for those with visual impairments. These warning pavers can be felt underneath one’s feet due to their noticeable texture, which notifies the walker that they are about to cross a road. Without these notifiers, the community is putting visually impaired pedestrians at risk.

We believe that an essential part of rebuilding the eastside is by first improving the safety of crosswalks and roads so that pedestrians can feel safe and at ease while making their daily commutes.

Imagine this: you’re walking along Michigan avenue moments before sundown. While enjoying the warmth of the sun as its rays hit your face, all of a sudden you feel the ground under you suddenly slope down with a change of elevation and texture that took you by surprise. And when you look down, the concrete paving of the sidewalk isn’t there anymore. Now imagine the same thing, but you are biking, or riding a motorized scooter, or maybe even skateboarding? For sure, that’s not gonna end well. If only we can ensure our sidewalks are continuous, safe, and fully revamped, maybe we can encourage more pedestrians and walkers to come take a stroll along the busy thoroughfare that is Michigan avenue. And, hear me out, what if we also add sidewalk art? Making our streets a little bit more colorful wouldn’t hurt! Maybe pause for a little hopscotch by the corner of Mifflin, eh? We must aim for better sidewalks and win the hearts of pedestrians!

When I saw this patch of brick-paved ground while walking along Michigan Avenue, I can’t help but think of how out of place it is. What is it for? Is there something that used to be here before? A bus stop, maybe? Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that it is distracting and makes a pedestrian like me feel that I’m walking through an abandoned part of the neighborhood. To change these sentiments, I would suggest that they turn this to a community garden! No, seriously. How much better if we remove the brick paving, and plant flower, fruit, or vegetable-bearing plants instead? I’d much rather see blooming peonies and daffodils instead of overgrown grass if I were to be frank.

Coming out of the pandemic, we got used to finding ways on how to eat out in our favorite restaurants. People got into a variety of options like delivery services, and to-go margaritas even became a thing. But out of all these things that people have tried during the pandemic, outdoor dining has been one of the top things that a lot of people liked and enjoyed. In the Eastside neighborhood, there are a number of restaurants such as the People’s Kitchen who can do the same thing and encourage people to go out and enjoy the outdoors and especially the arrival of warmer weather. With this, we’re making the Eastside Neighborhood and Michigan Avenue a much livelier place to be in. Now, let’s bring out the people and bring out the food!

Looking at this empty parking lot I see an unused potential. From the Middle East to the Philippines and in the other corners of the globe, weekend bazaars have been quite a popular and community-engaging gathering for cities and places. Now, hear me out, what if we bring this to Lansing? I propose that every Sunday morning or maybe every other Sunday morning of the month, the Eastside neighborhood can arrange a bazaar or a flea market and invite both local artists and students to showcase and sell their work, merchandise, and services. This area can be used to foster and develop community connections and encourage students to build a network of people beyond Grand River and the ever-sprawling MSU campus.

Throughout the Eastside Neighborhood, there are many lots that are not being used to their full potential. Some lots have unnecessary, decrepit parking lots, some have rotting buildings I wouldn’t dare go near, and some just have nothing. The lots that are being used are not maintained very well or haven’t been updated in years. This needs to change on the Eastside, the same way it needed to change in Detroit. As many of you know, Detroit has an excessive amount of abandoned buildings and lots. This is why in 2017, The Detroit City Walls program was founded to “beautify” the city by creating art murals in public spaces. So far they have already “beautified” 90 empty or boring lots in Detroit. A similar initiative could transform the Eastside Neighborhood. Just adding a few murals can completely change the vibrance and attitude of a community. On the Eastside there are many buildings and empty lots where residents would love to see a new mural or even a sculpture. Murals on the sides of small businesses can also attract new customers. Having an Eastside Walls program would benefit all in the community and strengthen their connection.

During my visit to Eastside, I was amazed by seeing students playing outside in the parking structure of the school. Resurrection School is located at 1521 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912. I questioned why the school lacks a playground for the children. I think it will benefit both the school and the students to construct a small playground for the students. The playground will provide students with an environment where they can develop cognitive, social, and physical skills. Since the school services young children, it is extremely important to help them develop key elements and skills in the real world.

As my partner and I were exploring the eastside, I observed that some streets on the eastside have recycling bins and some streets do not. I wonder if it is due to a lack of awareness and promotion. One improvement idea I have is educating and providing those households with recycling bins that do not. Also, installing recycling bins next to trash cans will aid in the promotion and awareness of sustainability.

I have been practicing sustainability for the past 4 years and based on my experience I do believe making sure each and every household has access to recycling bins will aid the city to become more environmentally friendly. As the city is close to MSU, and MSU is a green University, I do think it is important to raise awareness and promote living environmentally friendly by providing residents with access to materials(recycling bins) that will help them practice sustainability.

There are multiple parking lots in Eastside that needs servicing, it is extremely important that parking lots are taken care well to provide better safety. Potholes and uneven surfaces on parking lot can be more prone to accident as well as damage vehicle. The improvement Idea I have is to start with smaller and frequent used parking lots if funding is a issue. This way smaller actions can prevent greater damage. Thus, making sure that frequent used parking lots are well serviced will aid in public safety which is one most fundamental factor.

In order to keep pedestrians safe, it is important to maintain sidewalks. The cracked and uneven surfaces of sidewalks can lead to serious accidents and cause pedestrian damage. Thus the fourth improvement idea I have for the eastside is to repair the sidewalks on a regular basis so public safety can be maintained.

The Eastside does not have enough crosswalks. All down Michigan Ave, you can spot people crossing the street at random points and not using the crosswalks. This is likely due to the scarcity of crosswalks in the area. By adding additional ones, it would improve public safety and allow residents to cross safely.

Public transport in Lansing leaves a bit to be desired. When comparing the public transport to major cities to Lansing or even just comparing some of the CATA stops to other ones, you can see some gaps between them. Some potential improvements would be to improve safety and modernize the bus stops. Some of the stops on Grand River are covered and have screens detailing local attractions and when the next bus is coming. Adding something like this to all the stops would be helpful for the community.

In a world that is rapidly modernizing and becoming more reliant on technology, our public transport needs to reflect that. Something that is seen often in major cities such as Chicago is that the buses are able to take credit and debit cards. Many people in this day and age do not even carry cash, and this can cause a bit of an annoyance for some. By adding the ability to take cards as well as cash on the CATA bus, public transport in Lansing would become more accessible without taking anything away.

To gain more awareness for the Eastside, MSU could create a free shuttle to the Eastside. An obstacle for many students to visiting is the distance. This shuttle could also take a stop at Frandor, creating passage to shopping and groceries for students as well. By creating a direct link, we could increase visits and interest in the Eastside, making it easier to make further changes.

We noticed there was an abundance of dilapidated lots along our section of the Eastside. These would be prime locations for starting a community garden, or for promoting small businesses through craft fairs. Community gardens would not only bring the community together but would also help incorporate nature into the city setting. Gardens would also provide low cost produce that the citizens themselves grew. Finally, using these lots for craft fairs or pop-up events allows small businesses to flourish.

Many of the alley ways and sides of buildings were in shambles, and could greatly be improved through vibrant colors or murals. Looking through the photos that the we amassed, the color palette for the Eastside is overwhelmingly stagnant. Adding color and culture creates a more welcoming atmosphere for both the people that live in the Eastside as well as visitors. Murals allow creative expression and allows citizens to see their artwork thriving in their own community.

While assistive guards were present at a majority of the stoplight crosswalks, there were multiple that were damaged/missing.

These sidewalk guards are paramount to members of the disabled community and make cities more accessible for everyone. We suggest that the restoration and completion of these guards be implemented and further accessibility research performed.