Red Cedar Development

The Red Cedar Development is located on a plot of land that is currently undeveloped. While it encompasses an old golf course, nature has reclaimed it to a great degree. This makes for an intriguing set of circumstances, especially when compared to the three other local developments. We should seek to expound this when considering development proposals.
The location of the Red Cedar development area is an excellent mid-point between Lansing and Downtown East Lansing, meaning that some form of commerce would bode well for the area. Because of this, we must consider the land to be something more than just potentially refined green space. It should not, however, be paved over and transformed into another impersonal shopping center, but rather evolved into a combination of existing environment, curated environment, and inoffensive structures.

This land would be an ideal location for a blend of a refined natural space with modernist mixed-use structures. Given the Lansing area’s embrace of modernist design in its newest developments, a well-executed space between Lansing and East Lansing could tie the incongruous new buildings together and provide a purpose and theme for the progress of the area. This modernist design can be lifeless, as is the case with SkyVue, or jarring, as is the case with various mixed-use buildings in the area; this development seeks to remedy that by tying them into one vision, properly executed through a well-designed space combining nature, commerce, and all of their ensuing attributes.

One unique feature of MSU’s campus is the Red Cedar River that splits the campus in two. The river separates the old campus from the newer campus and provides students with a scenic walkway through campus. This highly accessible trail allows students to relax after class and watch and listen to the river. The benches along the trail provide walkers the chance to rest and relax, while the decks allow the walker the chance to be on top of the water to watch and listen to it flow. This unique tranquility gives students’ peace of mind during the everyday stress that comes with being a student.

The Red Cedar Development would benefit tremendously if they provided their residents and guests with a walking trail along the river. The trail would connect residents to campus and allow for fewer cars to be parked on campus. This would also give students who live on campus the chance to extent their walks or runs and give them to access the stores that will be built in the development. The trail would only minimally change the bank of the river as some space would be needed to add the paved walkway. This trail would give people a safe and healthy means of getting to campus and would provide users with a connection to the environment that MSU is known for.

Cities across the country such as New York, Chicago, and Boston have all implemented a bike share system. The system allows for inexpensive multimodal transportation while promoting sustainability in order to grow towards a smarter city. In order for East Lansing to follow suit and grow towards a good, smart city, sustainability is a great place to start. With scarce parking and a large campus, biking is an innovative option. Allowing bikers the opportunity to participate in a bike share would not only allow for sustainability but also a community program that acknowledges the stride towards advancement. It also promotes livability, giving multiple options to citizens of all fiscal backgrounds a mode of transportation.

What constitutes the perfect city? As most people recognize, it is hard to hone in on one specific city. College campuses are great examples of cities that often times need gentrification. One improvement idea to solve this problem among campuses is through connectivity. At such large campuses, like Michigan State University, it is easy to get lost among the crowd. Hard to connect with the surrounding community and put names to faces rather than seemingly passing just another stranger on the street. The Red Cedar Development is a great way to create connections. Through a new common space, Red Cedar Development will create a new sense of community; a place of comfort. Familiar faces, instead of a crowd of strangers. The development shrinks the large campus into a niche for shoppers, patients and leasers, giving them all a commonality and place to connect. Connectivity is key for cities, especially college campuses that lack the ability to narrow down such a large population.

As other communities have done, one way to connect neighbors is through an email group. Upon signing a lease, if each resident were to sign up for the email group, it would open a realm of possibility. Someone to watch your dog, knowledge of a community gathering, advice for classes, etc., all become opportunities with a simple email. Names become faces and neighbors turn into friends.

The Red Cedar River is an important part of the MSU campus and East Lansing community. It is a geographic feature that attracts many people by its grace, beauty and power. One way to utilize the unique characteristics of the river is to build a simplistic park on its banks, similar to the Spruce Street Harbor Park in Philadelphia. Here, visitors can play board games, lie in hammocks, or socialize by the food trucks under the colorful lights that hang in large oak trees. There are water fountains with permanent built-in seating, picnic tables, and a dock where people can sit in cargo nets suspended above the water. Small food vendors and local breweries set up small counters where visitors can grab a bite to eat or taste the local beer. The park is completely free and attracts hundreds of visitors every night during the summer months. Visitors often forget they are in a large city and imagine they are in a coastal region. The red cedar development will have the ability to provide a similar experience to the citizens of East Lansing and MSU students. With minimal walkways, simple lighting, and permanent seating, East Lansing can mimic the success of the Spruce Street Harbor Park and create a bond between nature and community.

The Red Cedar Golf Course is a site that has been left abandoned and unused for many years, and with the proposal of this development, it gives the area a chance to reignite itself and further connect it with the community of East Lansing, along with the students of Michigan State. What comes with this development is not only a chance for an area of the city to be improved, rather a chance for a new connection to emerge. With the details of the project including new developments such as a hotel, a medical center, and commercial real estate properties, it further supports the city of East Lansing's plans for the future to identify itself as more than just a college town, and in route to achieving this plan by allowing development of projects that bring new people into the city, and bring people together overall. In the grand scheme, the concept is so simple, in the sense that the types of buildings proposed for the project are ones that employ multitudes of people, and bring people in through retail and commerce. However, for a city like East Lansing, that has seen a fair share of multi use buildings go unused and eventually dilapidated, one can understand their cautious attitudes in the past for not allowing such projects to develop. This development can be seen as a win for those who will enjoy the beauty of the Red Cedar highlighted with the usefulness of new business developments to complement it.

The Red Cedar Renaissance project is a close to $300 million development project that is proposed to be built on the now closed Red Cedar Golf Course. While building is currently postponed as they find more funding, and design a plan to effectively build on the flood plains of the Red Cedar River. The project is boasted to be a mixed-use development, bringing in two hotels, 129 townhomes, five restaurants, a medical office building, and student housing that is said will accommodate 1,200 people. If built, the project will be the largest Greater Lansing development in recent history. While developers and several city officials say that the project will do amazing things for Lansing, there are several additions that could be made to the plans to not only make the development better, but to strengthen the development’s ties with the local community.

One specific way that the Red Cedar Development could create stronger ties with the surrounding community is to build a community marketplace, where local venders, crafters, and farmers could set up shop. Not only does this promote a mindset of “buy local, eat local, stay local”, this can also help to stimulate the local economy by supporting small businesses and also provides the community with a common meeting place that everyone is able to enjoy. Building a place for local residents to enjoy will strengthen the bonds between the community and the new development as it will show locals that the aim of the development is not only to bring new residents to the area, but also to become a part of the community by promoting community interests.

The Red Cedar watershed stretches 472 square miles from Fowlerville to East Lansing, a third of which is urban and the majority being agricultural. Because the Red Cedar watershed contains runoff from these urban and agricultural areas, the watershed is extremely susceptible to pollution and its negative effects. Agriculturally, the negative effects may come from manure, fertilizers and pesticides, and large amounts of sedimentation. Due to new urban development, excessive amounts of polluted runoff from sidewalks and pavement get dumped into the Red Cedar River. All of these types of pollution can kill plants and animals that inhabit the river, as well as pollute our clean drinking water. The Red Cedar watershed is home to not only thousands of species of plants and animals, but thousands of residents who live, learn, work, and recreate here as well. The City of Lansing recognized that this high percentage of pollution in the Red Cedar watershed is a huge problem, so what is their solution?

The City of Lansing summoned the help of Ferguson/Continental Lansing, LLC to help solve their problem. Ferguson/Continental, LLC are the developers in charge of the Red Cedar development. Included in their development plans is a new watershed management plan. Ferguson/Continental plans to use the water from the Red Cedar watershed to enhance their developments by making water a main site feature. It is their goal, through new design plans, to protect and improve water quality while also creating a natural landscape that provides aesthetic relief in urban developments. This will not only solve the draining issues within the Red Cedar watershed, but it will also help to purify the resident’s drinking water, and add an aesthetic attraction to be enjoyed by residents and community members.

From 1938 to 1960 MSU had a band shell where Bessey hall currently stands. This band shell was a place where concerts happened, a place where graduation ceremonies happened. It was a place people could go and hang out. It was a place people could gather and connect with the MSU community. Now it is gone. This wonderful creative space is gone. A place to gather and hold events, a place where you could go to feel part of something bigger than yourself. I want this place back and would love another band shell to be built on the Red Cedar development plot. A structure like this could really bring some excitement to a area and give it life. It's a shame we ever tore down the band shell but we can build a new one.

The band shell built in 1938 cost $25,000, today that would cost approximately $420,000. With a planned budget of $276,000,000 building this band shell would cost less than 1% of the budget. Looking at the plans I’m excited to see where the Red Cedar development goes. It seems like it’s going to be well connected with nature, and a place for students and professionals alike. I would insert my band shell In the park area where there is plenty of open space for people to gather. I can imagine local band coming to play here, big concerts, even political protests. This band shell would be a fairly cheap project that would add enormous community value.

Often times, as a city grows and develops, old places may become abandon or left unkempt. This is exactly what happened with the Red Cedar Golf Course. For years this place has sat empty. The new plans for creating the Red Cedar Development (also called the Red Cedar Renaissance) is set to give life back to this empty space. However, while the idea to build up this space will change the use of the land, it will also eliminate the way that the land is used currently that may not be taken into account by developers. This site is a place that dog owners love to utilize. The rugged terrain and open spaces are perfect for these pet owners to incorporate into their daily walk. With the plan to redevelop this land, the buildup of housing and retail services will eliminate parts of the municipal park on the location that is used by these dog walkers.

To solve this problem, this space can appeal to the people of the city better by creating a network of paths and trails through the developed land that would allow dog walkers to still use the space to take their pets for walks. By incorporating these paths into the design plans, not only will this developed space become one that appeals to the needs of the people (or in this case, their dogs), but it will also create a space the keeps a connection with natural through more scenic, quiet trails in the middle of a more developed space.

The development plan for the Red Cedar Golf Course land is relatively finalized, however, this space could see more traffic and people interested in the apartments and housing in the area if the land is used in a way that attracts people to it. As of now, the land near this future development space is home to a small park containing nothing more than a baseball field. While this field does get put to regular use by the city, more could be done to this space because there is the land for it. This space could benefit the public more by becoming a space that changes depending on the season. Permanently, a pavilion or shelter area could be built for small concerts and picnics when the weather is nice. In the winter, the grounds near the pavilion could be used as an ice skating rink that locals can enjoy in the cool weather. By creating a space that is dual purpose, both in warm weather and cold weather, it takes advantage of the constantly changing weather here in Michigan. East Lansing tried to create an outdoor skating rink before, but the location of the rink did not have enough parking for the space to be a success. As for this location, this park already has a good sized parking lot – meaning it could handle more people visiting.

We are all aware of Silicon Valley in San Francisco, California. It is home to many global, iconic business companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple. It is the site of technology focused institutions, specifically Stanford University. As MSU’s Business School continues to climb in rankings (currently 25th in nation and 10th among public schools) the creation of our own miniature Silicon Valley where the Red Cedar Development is planned would be an amazing business opportunity and chance to generate capital for Lansing. Not only that, but an opportunity for graduates/ students predominantly to find work straight off the bat.

The idea would be to house local businesses predominantly but also attempt to pull in as many major cooperation’s as possible. This would be a hub for surrounding top institutions like University of Michigan, The Ohio State University, and many more among the East coast. In regards to a good city principle this project would fall under, smart growth and economic impact of small (and large) businesses, fit well. I believe putting young talent and brains at the forefront of our society is a crucial factor for growth in all regards.

The Red Cedar Renaissance development project does utilize the large amount of green space in that area for the construction of this development. Water will play a large role in bringing the community together, but with some of the land already occupied by abandoned buildings, it would beneficial to use these buildings to create a community space. Instead of using new materials, reusing the buildings and materials keeps a sense of the community’s culture within the site while making costs for the project possibly less expensive. This culture closes the gap in the community between the new and the old. Community closeness will help make this space active and participatory with the people.

While the Red Cedar Renaissance Development strives to bring people together to create a strong community, there is some room for improvement on the development project. One principle that can be added is the creative aspect. With such a variety of green space, they could add a small children’s garden/park area to include families in the area. This garden will include weather-permitting structures created by local artists that are climbable and interactive with people. This then incorporates and employs the local community while allowing children and families to learn more about art in an interactive environment. This will also help close the community divide between families and students. If the structures are large enough, they can help be a center for events hosted by the students and they can be used by the students as well. Overall, this will add a sense of creativity in design to the development while acting as a community space.

The Red Cedar Development plans to build a housing development on the former gulf course with a set portion aside to make this infrastructure does not damage the Red Cedar. The landscape of the land will be disrupted and it is the developers responsibility to make sure that they are conscious of how they put nature into the development. This development should install roof top gardens and plant trees to give a new look as to what a "great urban design" looks like. the Human connection to nature is very important for our physical and mental health. Typical Urban Cities lack this connection, therefore, when developing on a green space, instead of taking it away this connection to nature should be built up on in this development. Creating a this development with a relation to nature can be a vital step towards engaging the community in protecting nature, such as the Red Cedar but also their ecological footprint.

The Red Cedar Development is planned to go on a piece of land that currently has a great connection to nature. When a building or new complex is being developed, it is easy to lose a connection to nature and forget about the benefits that nature can bring. Studies have shown that having a connection to nature can greatly improve people’s moods and overall happiness. Nature also has a way of connecting people to each other and bringing groups of people together.

It is important for this development to not lose the connection to nature. East Lansing/ Lansing don’t have a lot of areas that are well developed but still have a great and large connection to nature. The Red Cedar Development should include an art park that would allow people to walk around and see art while connecting to nature. With the location of the development being situated between East Lansing and Lansing it could bring together two larger communities and benefit both significantly. One example of a very successful art park is the Fredrick Meijer Gardens and sculpture park in Grand Rapids, people travel from all over the state to go see it. Having something like that in East Lansing would be a great benefit to the city.

Looking to the future is a very important thing to do when building a development like the Red Cedar Development. The world is constantly changing and as we move through time that change is growing exponentially. One of the industries that is going to have the largest change is the automotive industry. We are at the tipping point for the shift from human operated gas cars to autonomous electric cars. It is estimated that by 2030 private car ownership will drop by 80%, and that the number of cars on the road will drop from 247 million to 44 million. This large shift in the way people use and own automobiles presents the problem of having lots of wasted space from the parking lots that we have.

The Red Cedar Development should carefully look at this trend and come up with a plan to reduce the amount of wasted real estate that they have. Adaptability here is key and there are lots of ways in which you can prepare for this shift. One way to eliminate this wasted space is to turn it into an event area, having a place to hold concerts or a farmer’s market would be an excellent use of this space. Some companies plan on turning parking garages into apartments or retail space when this shift occurs. The new purpose of the parking areas has the ability to be a multitude of things, which allows us to be creative, but the important thing is that they are adaptable. Companies have always had to look towards the future when designing buildings, but it is more crucial now more than ever.

The Red Cedar Development is a well-designed plan that has a variety of important aspects such as mixed use buildings, connection with nature, adaptability, economic development, public accessibility. The design is very modern and covers a diverse variety of demographics, which should make it relatively affordable. I especially like that the new development will have a close relationship with new medical facilities which will create jobs, help the community, improve the overall economy. This new development is a great opportunity for the city to implement new technologies that will help improve the way people with disabilities can interact with the city. Persons with disabilities include those who are blind, deaf, or physically impaired. Smart cities implement various initiatives to help people with disabilities, such as guided city tours, better infrastructure and safety standards, sensory gardens, and greater city services such as wheelchair accessible public transportation and community centers that host classes specifically for people with certain disabilities. These cities are also using smart devices and software that help people interact with objects and services within the city.

These smart city initiatives will help raise awareness for persons with disabilities, improve the overall safety and satisfaction within the community, and make the city more inclusive and accessible for people who need special accommodations. In Toronto, the StopGap Foundation has taken part in a community ramp project in order to make businesses more accessible for locals who are less mobile. This includes changes such as brightly painted ramps that can be easily seen. Another example of these Smart City initiatives is in Sydney, Australia. Sydney is currently making a network of braille street signs that will be paired with information pylons and digital technology for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Red Cider project has its unique setting compared to other projects. The location is surrounded by resourceful nature green and they could be utilized to better incorporate into the neighborhood; the idea is to reconnect the nature with the residents in the community. “Green Coverage” has always been an important topic for neighborhood structuring, but neighborhoods have rarely achieved the true form of connecting with nature. The Red Cider project is significant as it aims to remodel the existing drain:
Montgomery Drain to reduce the pollution and it is intended to improve the public infrastructure of the site, and the improvement of $50 million is funded by the city. The project also includes $200 million dollars stake from private equity funds for the building of different types of facilities. This project is ideal to form its unique atmosphere and I deem the project to be better applying the idea I promote. Essentially, the idea is to extend the coverage of nature into the neighborhood; it presents an infusion image of the concrete building with the green plants; the distinct two would reach an equilibrium that enriches the acknowledgment of the green in the neighborhood.

Being green and embracing the nature seem to be a trendy thing to for the young generation; the Red Cider project is targeted for the students and young working professionals from the city. With the extension of green into the neighborhood, the young would recognize the Red Cider be a place to socialize and enjoy time with nature. Cites are concrete occupied filled with noise and pollution, neighborhoods are urged to seek for the nature to breathe out; the Red Cider offers an opportunity to examine the possibility of nature and human living peacefully yet being financially feasible and attractive to the city inhabitants.

East Lansing demands more sports facilities, a central, concentrated sports center. The sports facility on the campus of MSU lays limitations for the public, they are set up exclusively for the students. East Lansing is a fairly young city, the young are desire to stay active, an affordable facility that delivers different sports could be socially and financially attainable. The sports center features an indoor golf range, tennis courts, a swimming pool, an indoor artificial grass turf soccer field, basketball courts, and a baseball batting range. It also includes a gym with weight lifting and yoga facilities, some selective food vendors would also be brought in, the sports center is more so an athletic community rather than a corporate, money-driven sports facility. All age ranges are welcome and occasional free lessons would be offered to connect people. Dietitians and food scientists would hold free speeches to promote better health consciousness within the community; additionally, locally owned and operated vendors would have booths to sell fresh produces that are directly from the local farms.

The sports center is intended to promote a healthy lifestyle within the community and ultimately, the city. The developer(s) could cooperate with the city of Lansing to utilize some of the incentives; the city could pay for part of the pre-planning phase construction to reduce the initial investment cost to generate a better return for the investors; also, tax incentive could be applied in the case to make the investment more financially desirable.

Across Michigan Ave from Frandor, lies a closed down golf course with 55 acres of land that has gone unused for years. The current redevelopment plan is expecting to have 22 acres reserved for public park area and 33 acres of private space that will be used for a hotel, apartments, retail space, 3 parking structures, and an amphitheater. I think it would be beneficial to the community of the development to incorporate a part of the public space into the private space. Bringing nature into the commercial area. Because of Michigan State's campus, East Lansing is a diverse blend of cultures from all over the globe. It is important to create space that can bring people together in a place of belonging for everyone. My design improvement idea is to grow a culturally inclusive peace garden at the center of the developments that will be created in the red cedar development.

The point of a peace garden to promote peace and cultural understanding and acceptance between people of all cultures. At the center of a peace garden is a four sided peace pole with “may peace prevail on earth” written in four languages, one on each side of the pole. Peace poles have been used across the world in communities needing a symbol as a reminder to love everyone and that we are all of the same. After the 9/11 attacks, schools in New York City planted peace poles to give students a much needed sense of security and love. Peace poles have been implemented in many communities as a way of bringing people from across the globe together. When the red cedar development is completed, it will be an inclusive space for students, people visiting the area and businesses. The perfect peace garden for this space, would be a circular piece of land in the middle of all the developments. At the center of the garden would be a large peace pole (a collaborative art project that could be created at the new msu art lab!), and the rest of the garden would be home to plants from around the world that can realistically be grown in this climate as well as a set of wooden benches hidden in the serenity of the plants. The peace garden should be a space of community collaboration, with insight from a diverse range of students and community members in the area. Allowing the community to come together and take part in creating the green space in their area will truly promote just what the peace garden is all about.

Along the Red Cedar River, many students sit by the river just to study or hang out. Unfortunately, there are no tables or benches by the river; therefore it would be a good idea to have a place within the park where student could be able to sit and study while still surrounded by nature. Sort of like a community area with a garden inside that gives off the feeling of being inside a greenhouse. Simply having benches and/or tables around this small community garden would be enough. It would be beneficial to the students if there were places to settle down and to just sit for a while. It will also make everyone feel more connected to nature. Students can bring family members to come and have a picnic or just to simply enjoy the view.

The Red Cedar development is hopefully going to bring new life to the land where a golf course once stood. Even with its plans to create a hotel and student apartments, there is potential to utilize the rest of the land throughout the space to make it welcoming and accessible to everyone. In Dallas, there is a ‘Swing Park’ which incorporates swings throughout a city center as places for people to play as well as hang out in an industrial location. This project cost less than $1000 and brought life to an area while also providing seating, a place to meet up with friends, and a fun experience that people of all ages could appreciate. I think this idea would work incredibly within the Red Cedar area, especially along any trails created, and even along the actual Red Cedar River and its existing trails throughout the Michigan State campus. With as much land as the campus has, there aren’t many outdoor seating areas on campus beyond the lawn chairs set up near Wells Hall. Setting up swings throughout the developing area could help students relieve stress from an overwhelming day at school, and be a reminder that there can be fun found in the little things. The concept is inexpensive, easy and quick to create, and stimulates ownership of a space while bringing together people of all ages.

There are certain things that every city is just known for. The Red Cedar is something that is very valued in East Lansing and it is an important part of the city. The Red Cedar river is something that students see all the time on campus and it gives me a sense of peace. It is beautiful during all seasons and there are spaces around it that students can relax in after class. College campuses are spots with lots of fast energy and pace and this space feels like somewhere things can be slower and calmer. The Red Cedar Development is a 276 million dollar project that will be home to a hotel, student apartments, and a place that is available to young professionals.
I think it is important to expand upon that idea of this space being available for students to expand upon their careers and academic life. This can include a space that has a small and comfortable library for students to study in or to do group projects in. Since students will also reside in the apartments being made in this project, it will also be very convenient for them to have a space where they don’t have to go far to go in order to do their homework or find a quiet space to focus. There can be help centers in there for tutoring or aid on different subjects. This can be a space to not only help students advance in their academic life, but also their professional lives. They can be able to host their own events in there and reveal their research in some of the spaces. It can be used to host business fairs and can be a space for youth professionals to connect with each other. This would be really nice because of the surrounding beauty. Students can easily go from academic things to relaxing in nature.

The Red Cedar Development project can, if done in a specific way, can encourage a community dynamic that emphasizes a oneness in the space, residents we be able to cross difference and enrich their experiences through meaningful interactions.

In the Red Cedar Development project, the idea that stuck out to me the most for space was creating a park on that had many facets to it. Within the park, there would be space for general leisure: picnicking, hammocking, games, and food trucks. There would also be space carved out for farmers markets which could easily help people focus on eating well, supporting small businesses, and buying local while making an event of it with friends or family, helping give the space a community feeling with more people walking around outdoors. Within the path, they would also develop paths or trails for people to walk or ride through, ideally using the bike share program they would begin as a cheap form of transportation in efforts of making the city more multimodal and less polluted. Also within the park, there would be either a band shell, a pavilion, or potentially both. Both of which could function as a community space for events, concerts, picnics, shows, and ice skating or hockey, depending on the season. All of these aspects help encourage the community to spend more time in the area, engaging in any number of activities available. It is in an ideal location, being very close to MSU's campus and downtown East Lansing.

Forming a space to be used by all that live in the Red Cedar Development will deepen the sense of community among the citizens, regardless of generational or cultural differences. The idea of community gardens has not always been executed as hoped, but in this development, that does not have to be the case. Water, having always been a problem in the area, can become a strength rather than a weakness.

With such a large array of housing, with the hotels, family housing, as well as student and assisted living situations, a community garden can bridge a gap between these different individuals. Participation between those in the senior housing facilities and younger generations can help form relationships in which all parties involved have something to gain, whether it is through conversation or cooperation. Making something beautiful can bring a sense of belonging in a community, and could even turn its citizens into worldly citizens that bring their understanding and experiences to every situation.

Community centers bring community to a neighborhood, and help to bond everyone there. With such a diverse population that the Red Cedar Development is aimed at, a community center could help to form relationships between these different generations. For students, it could be used for studying and possibly tutoring. For parents, it could be used as a space where they can connect and form relationships with other parents, and as a result, helping find relationships for their children. For the older generations, it could act as a place to interact with the other generations, whether it is by teaching things they are skilled at, or learning about technology. A community center can help empower the people within the community, therefore strengthening the community as a whole.

Connecting with nature within a city improvement project reaps benefits beyond what we see with the naked eye. The red cedar development is an exemplar of a mixed-use space featuring a generous amount of nature in between the man-made sites. Aiming to attract consumers with commercialized products and services provides a base-line level of satisfaction. The incorporation of a 22-acre park delivers an important aspect to the quality of human life. Viewing nature amongst the bustled streets and city commotion offers an aesthetically pleasing demeanor to the given space. An entirely new energy and atmosphere drifts along an area when nature is one of the focusing elements. The open fields and ever-changing leaves acts as a backdrop to the industrialized energy in which the building give off.

The integration of comfortable seating and rest areas amid industrial design improves the space as a whole. This feature can be implemented within nature by including within the open acres a wide variety of seating such as hammocks and benches. These are often utilized as a point of relaxation, giving residents or shoppers a breath of fresh air and a break from a constant exposure to architecture and technology. More often than not, residents and visitors are trapped in buildings for hours on end through work or class. I believe that this proposal preserves nature while simultaneously creating more of a community connection. Perhaps with this feature of nature, the city of East Lansing will see an increase in residents outdoors, utilizing a local area for peace and quiet. If we imagined a good city, an ideal element would be to include beautiful scenery and exclude unused buildings; This 22-acre park would feature natural habitats; this facet in itself is beautiful because of the untouched finish of nature. In terms of implementation of this idea, officials may accept donations or grants from businesses or individuals to provide the wide array of seating arrangements. Offering seating in an outdoor setting seems to be an interest to all age ranges, as everyone would enjoy and appreciate a space for themselves engulfed in nature.

With the Red Cedar development project being planned to take place where the Red Cedar Golf Course currently stands and its main goal being to connect with connect with nature as well as inclusive place making this is a project that has the potential to bring people together in a big way. As a kid one of my fondest memories was going to parks where people from all over town would meet. One particular park was the Imagination station in Marysville Michigan. It was a park that centered around children’s imaginations and gave kids opportunities to explore and express them.

This is a strategy that mirrors one mentioned in Studio Gangs 7 Strategies To Reimagine Civic Spaces, and that is to shape parks into experiences. The example they give is a park designed for hide and seek. Here they encourage cities to include more diverse topographies to serve as gathering points. This could definitely help the Red Cedar project reach its goal of connecting with nature and inclusive place making. Bringing eye catching art, furniture, and/or nature itself can help attract people to the location, while the park its self and its specific function, say hide and seek, will get people to stay and hopefully come back time and time again.

The proposed Red Cedar Renaissance is a plan to completely revamp the unused Red Cedar Golf Course, with both public spaces and private areas, incorporating both buildings and nature areas. An idea I think could be a good one is to use the public spaces that are proposed for open areas that have a nature aspect to them is to build a disc golf course around this area. Incorporating a disc golf course throughout the area provides an activity for people to indulge in, and bring more people to the space, maximizing its utility. This could also allow people to potentially try out the activity for the first time and provide a new hobby for people. There currently is only one disc golf course near Michigan State, and it is located on the far south end of campus off of Mount Hope Road. Building a disc golf course here would provide a quality area for people to play in a very good location, and can also cater to people in Greater Lansing who could commute to the area to play, as the other disc golf courses in the area are located at least 25-30 minutes away from the Lansing Area. Fitting in a disc golf course would also help maximize the space in the redevelopment, because it would fit in the park area, and wouldn't need its own space to be devoted to. Disc golf is a very fun leisure activity that can promote activity, people getting outside and enjoying the fresh air, and a temporary escape from the stresses of school for the nearby students. It would also provide a unique dynamic to the area that isnt common to the greater Lansing area.

The Red Cedar development plan could be used to connect East Lansing and Lansing together throughout forms of nature. If a bike path, nature trails, and a park were added in this space it would bring such a welcoming nature environment. Having a space environment space for nature in the outdoors is beautiful scenery. Benches could create a great study area for students.

This is practical to do since since the land has the outline of an old golf course, but is undeveloped space currently. This is beneficial because at MSU there is far less nature than many other schools in Michigan have. Having an area msu students could go to for exercise or fresh air could benefit everyone. Not every student will take advantage of it but the many will use it enough to counteract any negatives.

The Red Cedar development is meant to be a park where the community can come and enjoy their time by having picnics, hammocking, playing games and purchasing food from trucks. To improve the Red Cedar development and make it more enjoyable, we could include a bike, skateboard, and goat kart rental. Within this beautiful park, the community could ride around in their bikes, skateboards, and go-karts and enjoy the nature around while others enjoy a picnic, playing sports games or eating. We could also include holidays, for example since Halloween is coming up we could do events such as haunted houses and corn mazes where individuals and groups can only get through with a bike, skateboard, and go-kart, this would make the event more exciting and terrifying.
The money from the rentals could be used to purchase the upcoming holiday's decorations and this way we could create fun events regarding the holidays. For Christmas, there could be an event where parents bring their kids to see Santa Claus. For Valentines, an event could be included where partners could bring their significant other to enjoy time together while there are people selling flowers, outside movies going on, and big teddy bears that one could purchase or make themselves. The community at the Red Cedar would definitely distress themselves and enjoy time with great people.

The Red Cedar Development project includes a $200 million dollar private investment, which will consist of building massive plinths to lift the developable land above the flood plain to build a hotel, market-rate apartments for students and young professionals, a medical facility, and retail and commerce space. The main goal of the project is to clean-up the drain and the soil, and build public improvements through and around the site to facilitate the development.
Along with facilitating development, the Red Cedar Development project will filter excess pollution from Frandor Shopping Centre's drains and cut off the run off pouring into the river.

Allowing this setting to reintroduce its troubled history with floods and pollution, while embracing the beauty of nature, there could be ponds and man0made water ways constructed with the now-filtered water to provide a calming and aesthetically pleasing boost. Given that this project is federally mandated as the old drain is dumping in too much pollution to the nearby Red Cedar River, allowing water to further travel through nature and filter before dumping into the Red Cedar would also help its biotic indexes.

The Red Cedar development project is being implemented on a land space that was formerly a golf course. This area obviously covers a lot of space and is home to a lot of grass and plant life, while still existing close to the Red Cedar River itself. Fertilizers containing phosphorus are harmful to their environment especially when located close to such an important body of water. The pesticides in the fertilizer are harmful to the local water and the plant/animal life within the water. The Red Cedar project should make an effort to only use a fertilizer that is phosphorus-free, which would not only help the lawn to grow long and healthy but would also help the ecosystem around the project to also stay healthy. Phosphorus runoff feeds algae in the water which can cause it to overgrow and damage the water that it’s in. Algae blooms are very harmful to watersheds and can cause ‘dead zones’ where there aren’t nutrients for other living organisms because of the algae growth. By setting a goal to only use phosphorus-free fertilizers throughout the Red Cedar developing landscape, and even other areas on MSU’s campus, it is evident that those in charge care about the ecosystem and the people within the environment who rely on this water.

One of MSU Spartan Sevens or core values is learning from difference. Learning that everyone who comes to MSU come from different backgrounds, cultural values, etc. There are a lot of clubs and organizations that delve into these different communities but the Red Cedar can help expose diversity to the public by hosting events.

An improvement idea for the Red Cedar Development is hosting events for global events. This would bring power, culture, and identity as this will bring more exposure and diversity towards students at MSU will experience different cultures. As for power and identity, this can expand big events that the International hosts, such as Global Fest. The Red Cedar hosting these events would bring out the main principles that the development plans to succeed. Key principles such as building community, place and creating connections and engagement.

For a number of years I worked at the Recreation Department in Port Huron Michigan. One of our biggest events each year was the Color Run. What made this a special event to many was that it was family friendly and also a fun way to bring a little fitness into the lives of those participating. The biggest attraction, however, was the location of the event. It was held on paths and sidewalks along the St. Clair River that separates the US and Canada.

Bearing a striking resemblance is the Red Cedar Community. The Red Cedar River is a beautiful river, and if used right the Red Cedar Development project can take advantage of its beauty to bring people together just as we did in Port Huron. Not everyone has access to fitness centers and people may not be comfortable exploring fitness by their own at first. If paths and sidewalks were put in along the Red Cedar River in this area, it would set the ground work for things like the Color Run, allowing people from all over East Lansing and neighboring towns to participate in fun family fitness with no strings attached. These sidewalks should include lanes for bicycles, fun patterns, benches, art, lighting and occasional rest stops, so that even after an event like the Color Run is finished, families and individuals will come back for more on their own.

Using ideas from other communities that have shown to be successful and adopting them in your own way to your community can be a great way to set a project up for success. However, you don’t always have to look so far away for a successful project idea. One thing that MSU’s campus does well is give its students a voice. It would be hard to find a student that does not know about the rock on MSU’s campus. Unfortunately that is just students, individuals from further out in the community don’t get to experience the rock and the opportunity it gives students to express their own voice.

The Red Cedar Development project is the perfect place to put a similar device. Whether it is a blank wall or another rock, it can be a great place for people to give their own voice to the community. Spreading the word about important causes, groups to join or even just an expression of art, something of this sort is a great way to get the community involved in things they may not know about or experience something they have never thought existed.

For as long as Michigan State University has been around, the Red Cedar River has been quite a hotspot for students to do research or their classes and as a chill out spot between their lectures. One can imagine the sight of people playing and enjoying themselves in the midst of fall or spring. For as much as the students get involved, I believe we can get the community more involved.

As such a prominent college that has dozens of thousands of students, the RCR is quite popular among students but not towards the general public. I believe that we should take action to several events every month and allow the public to use the river space as they may please. I can guarantee that if the hundreds of clubs we have here at MSU take advantage of this space, it will cause attention and make people want to do something of their own. Whether this be protest or promoting their company for students, anyone anywhere should be able to get involved in our campus.

The new Red Cedar Development project should include a well financed mall. The mall should include various food places from different cultures, variety of stores, outside garden, and a fountain in the center. The mall needs to be visually appealing to the eye, so it should consist of glass, and have at least 3-4 floors. Since more people are going to be attracted to the red cedar area, it'll give them something to do. This would give spouses the opportunity to spend time with each other while the kids are in school. Primarily the mall would be open to diversity, because it'll be a major tourist attraction in the city. It should also include a movie theatre for people to sit down, relax, and watch the latest movies. Should also include family & friends night in which different musical artist perform at the Garden. Specifically Friday nights because you wouldn't have to worry about work the next day for the most part. This not only give adults something to do on their free time, but teens, children, and the elderly. The outside garden would fascinate most people because it'll have a beautiful sitting area for you to view the flowers, and plants. The elderly would enjoy this because they wouldn't have to stay on their feet so long. If they choose not to walk around the mall because of their physical abilities they can sit outside.
This is beneficial because if you want to make a city more popular, and grow you should start planning things out. Shared interest in music, food, and attractions helps to bring communities together. Many people love to shop, which is one of the top hobbies in the world. Shopping includes the purchasing of goods bought from stores. You aren't force to buy anything if you don't want to it's your decision. It helps to lower stress levels, good exercise, and opens the door for communication.
It can be implemented if the city would tear down the Meridian mall, and consider a newly built mall that would actually have more things inside. After a while certain malls get boring especially if stores began to close. So in order to keep this mall up and thriving it should be planned out the right way.

Day after day, I hear complaints of East Lansing being too busy. There are too many cars, not enough sidewalks, too many pedestrians, walking signs are not long enough. The issue lies in the fact that certain areas of East Lansing are not pedestrian nor bike friendly. An increased amount of bike racks installed throughout East Lansing would not only promote riding bikes places, but would also hopefully limit car usage throughout East Lansing. An increased amount of bike usage promotes the health benefits associated with bike riding as well as begins to decrease the noise/light/air pollution that comes along with car usage.

A major development of the Red Cedar that would benefit the community of East Lansing would be creating more open parks and cleared trails along the river. The township could even out some of the land and clear partial amounts of the trees to create big trails within it. Other flat areas around the river could be filled with green grass and plants, benches, picnic tables, and swings for people to enjoy spaces near the river.
This development plan would bring river access to residents and create the ability to enjoy the Red Cedars beauty, and its peaceful noises. Currently, the sidewalk where most students and residents walk and ride bikes, is separated from the river by trees and brush. By clearing this out natural spaces would be given to the community to eat, do homework, walk their animals, mediate, get fresh air, and enjoy themselves.

Wasted space can be seen all throughout campus. Whether it be in the form of unused parking lots, fields of grass etc. A cheap and easy alternative would be a self-sufficient garden. My family last year decided to pull up some of our front lawn which we never used, and replaced it with native wildflower seeds. Even though it has been only around a year, the space has been completely revamped, and rejuvenated. Endangered wildflowers native to Michigan were planted, and have grown with ease. The best part is that you don’t even need to do maintenance on the area anymore. Instead of having to cut the grass like we used to, we just watch the flowers grow, and it is amazing for the environment.

One idea I have to better East Lansing is to install recycling bins around campus. This would help keep the city clean as well as protecting and taking care of the environment. One of the best things about MSU campus is the beautiful nature that surrounds it. In order to maintain and preserve the environment we need to take care of it. I know many people who consider themselves environmentalists, especially in our generation who would also positively follow this trend. This includes installing them around campus, and on trails. The more accessible the more probable it will to be used! Having recycling more accessible and available will help maintain the beauty around us, as well as the environment and planet!

Compost bins and areas with be strategically placed along the stretch of nature that meets with the foot traffic of the walking/ biking paths, that will allow community members to have a personal impact on the sustainability of the ecosystem. This could also go hand in hand with the possible implantation of community gardens, that draw city residents to get involved in a way that connects them with each other and with the environment in a very hands-on and fulfilling way. The act of composting helps support a sustainable and greener future for our communities and is a way for people to see first hand how taking care of their waste influence the world around them.

The bike paths and sidewalks along the Red Cedar River are some of the most traveled walkways on campus. Having said that, students and ordinary citizens are traveling these pathways at all hours of the day. At night, the area along the red cedar is pitch black in most areas. The installation of a system of solar powered street lamps could benefit the safety of the people of East Lansing greatly. This improvement I hold personally to myself. Firstly, I am an older brother who values the safety of my friends and family like no other. I believe that this improvement could immensely limit and even prevent potential crime that could happen around this area.

Implementation of this system of lights could be relatively easy. If approved, the lamps would be payed for by Michigan State. The area of installation is centrally located on campus, which is mainly inhabited by students living in apartments and dorms. In order to save power and benefit the environment, all lamps would be solar powered. In turn, this would cut electricity costs that would otherwise have to be payed by the university. This improvement falls under the principle of nature. While the lights are making our community more safe, they are also using renewable energy to preserve our environment. Overall, the implementation of these lights would greatly benefit the Red Cedar River area.

Every year the Red Cedar river freezes. Some people that have access to the red cedar river like to use it to skate on, they play hockey on it or just skate around. I think everyone should be able to have easy access to the red cedar river. In order to achieve this, a good idea would be to install huts, sheds and small wooden locker rooms along the river to provide a safe space for people who want to skate on the Red Cedar river.

There would be one location along the river where these huts would be installed. These huts would serve as a space for people to change into there skates, clothes or just serve as a warmer space when it gets too cold out. leading up to these huts would be a foam matt coming from the river so students can safely get from the river to the huts. there would be a lot of research going into this, including where the safest part of the lake to skate on is or how thick the ice needs to be to skate on it. Installing these huts would provide a safe, fun and free space for students to come together.

Tourism is an important factor for the growth of an area. You need something that will draw people in from out of town while simultaneously entertaining the natives of the city. A way to implement this to the Red Cedar River is to set up a public kayaking business. A small hometown business can rent out kayaks to people in the warm seasons. People will be able to float on their kayaks with groups of friends. You can bring drinks and food and enjoy and take in the beauty of the Red Cedar River of Lansing. A couple of miles down there will be an area where you get off the river and a bus can drive you back to the starting point. This business would bring people in from all over. This would boost the economy by bringing people in and they can get the full experience of Lansing and the beautiful nature that comes with it. This gets use of the river while preserving the beauty.