Detroit Cultivator is a multi-disciplinary effort to transform the six-acre Oakland Avenue Urban Farm into an experimental urban prototype for equitable regeneration. The plan combines agricultural production, cultural activity, business incubation, and ecological stewardship to envision a neo-rural landscape that is both economically and ecologically sustainable.
There are over 1300 urban farms in Detroit: some covering 40 acres and operating at an industrial scale, others converting a single lot into a resource just for a few families. While most would agree to the substantive benefits of urban agriculture, few initiatives have evolved into sustainable models for ecological diversification, economic resurgence and infrastructural efficiency. We are working with the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm on a plan to unifying the site into an operational (agri)cultural landscape.
Oakland Av Urban Farm from akoaki on Vimeo.
DETROIT CULTIVATOR
Detroit, Michigan, 2016-present
Project Leads: Anya Sirota, Jean Louis Farges
Landscape Architect: Christophe Ponceau
Community Partner: Oakland Avenue Urban Farm
Design Team: Jonathan Watkins, Taylor Montgomery, Sam Okolita, Matthew Story, Annelise Heeringa, Christopher Campbell, Megan Mohney
Production Team: Arvinder Singh, Morgan Stackman, Theresa Kaplan, Rafael Kopper, Sabrina Herbosa Reyes, Alix Eoche-duval, Lindsay Karasik, Loran Newman, Neal Oliver, Gabrielle Tanneau, Lorie Bayen, Laurianne Carra, Fernand Bretillot, Louise Kalfas-Brat, Audrey Adellon, Lucas Rigney, Mayte Vega
This project is made possible through a grant from ArtPlace America. Additional support provided by the University of Michigan Office of Research.
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Akoaki is blending design disciplines in Detroit
