At night, when the lights of the city appeal to the dark like dim reflections of the stars in heaven, and a river of headlights sweeps across the land in a daze, we meet on city streets made less for man than for moving machines. “The road is too damn wide!” That is the call of Corktown, a unified voice of residents and shopkeepers. The road is too damn wide – and the people must come first. That is the call of the city, its pulsing swarms: PUT THE PEOPLE FIRST.

Human Scale Studios seeks a merry band of makers, a cohort of creatives, an assembly of architects and activists to transform Michigan Avenue in Corktown from a state highway to a complete street, to reconfigure the city to meet new needs, to PUT THE PEOPLE FIRST.

Example of a ‘parklet’ designed space.

Michigan Avenue is Corktown’s main street, but it is also a nine-lane state highway. This harms the neighborhood’s viability by separating residents from businesses, discouraging community interaction by reducing walkability, forcing dining and retail activity indoors, diminishing public life, and preventing the energy of the neighborhood from flowing out into public spaces.

Example of a public seating area

These twelve people will each receive $5000 in funding to design and implement a transformative project that utilizes the principles of human-centered design to transform Michigan Avenue into a more complete street. Additionally, selected project leaders will participate in a learning community that consists of global leaders in the tactical urbanism movement.

The ideal project should be highly visible within the larger community of urban activism while remaining rooted in Corktown by addressing the desires of its residents. Additionally, successful submissions will be projects that are inspiring and ambitious yet attainable for the allotted time frame and budget. We will be moving fast. We are operating on an accelerated timeline due to the weather, and because of that, people who demonstrate a unique combination of flexibility, speed, and excellence will be favored. All projects are aimed at the transformation of Michigan Avenue.

Public art installation: no idea is too wild

Here’s what you are committing to if you apply:

• Selected project leaders will be required to attend a monthly education series in Detroit throughout the remainder of 2016.
• Selected projects must be implemented from August-December 2016.
• Selected project leaders must be prepared to appear in a documentary and magazine with national distribution.
• Selected project leaders must be available for a half-day training that will occur within the July 25-27 range. No exceptions. Specific details will be shared upon acceptance.

Click here to apply. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm July 10, 2016. If you have any questions, please email chad@humanscalestudio.com

The post APPLY NOW: HUMAN SCALE STUDIO WANTS DESIGNERS & ARTISTS TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST WITH INNOVATIVE PROJECTS TO TRANSFORM MICHIGAN AVENUE appeared first on PLAYGROUND DETROIT.