October 30, 2025
Detroit Future City’s New Report Calls for Transformative Approach to Land Conservation in Detroit
DETROIT, October 30, 2025 – Detroit Future City (DFC), the urban innovation center and think tank focused on advancing economic equity in Detroit, today announced the release of its new report, “Saving for the Future: Land Conservation in Detroit.” The report calls for a transformative, citywide approach to turning Detroit’s vast vacant land into protected natural habitats that improve environmental health, strengthen neighborhoods, and build long-term community resilience.
“Detroit has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to turn its vacant land into thriving natural spaces that provide cleaner air and water, reduce flooding and heat, and connect residents to nature close to home,” said Anika Goss, DFC CEO. “Conservation is not just an environmental strategy; it’s an investment in our city’s health and future.”
A Citywide Opportunity for Resilience and Equity
Detroit has more than 18 square miles of vacant land and over 100,000 vacant lots (nearly 60 percent of which are publicly owned). While Detroit’s population is stabilizing, traditional redevelopment remains difficult across many neighborhoods. DFC’s new report argues that transforming portions of this land into open space can fill a critical ecological and social gap, providing benefits that include cleaner air and water, increased biodiversity, reduced flooding and heat, improved mental and physical health, and stronger neighborhood identity.
Only 20% of Detroit’s parkland qualifies as natural areas, compared to a national median of 58%. DFC sees this as both a challenge and an opportunity to create a more equitable and sustainable urban environment.
A New Vision for Detroit’s Open Space
The “Saving for the Future” report sets the stage for DFC’s Detroit GreenSpace, a conservation initiative to create and protect forests, prairies, and wetlands across Detroit.
Through Detroit GreenSpace, DFC will work with partners to develop and protect new natural areas while coordinating research, community engagement, design, fundraising, and long-term management across the city.
“This initiative builds on DFC’s decade of work in community-driven green space development and sustainable neighborhood planning and is an effort to scale up to a coordinated, citywide system of green spaces through long-term conservation strategies,” said Sarah Hayosh, Director of Land Use and Sustainability at DFC.
Establishing the Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy
As part of the initiative, DFC will establish the Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy, an emerging nonprofit organization designed to own, steward, and protect conserved lands for future generations. The GreenSpace Conservancy will use tools such as conservation easements, long-term management agreements, and will be raising funds for a capital reserve to ensure sites are maintained and continue to serve as community amenities.
“Detroit Future City has spent the last decade demonstrating how vacant land is not a liability; it’s an opportunity for neighborhoods to collectively decide what they need. With over 18 square miles of unused land, our city stands at a pivotal moment to reimagine these spaces as natural assets that improve health, resilience, and equity,” said Wendy Jackson, DFC Board Chair and managing director for The Kresge Foundation Detroit program. “DFC is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. Our deep community partnerships, data-driven planning, and unwavering commitment to sustainable land use make us the right organization to steward this work for generations to come.”
Rooted in strong local partnerships, the Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy will work with community leaders and grassroots stewards to shape, manage, and benefit from these open spaces. DFC will collaborate closely with the City of Detroit, the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA), and regional partners to align conservation goals with neighborhood resident priorities and public policies.
Detroit GreenSpace is DFC’s citywide conservation initiative to plan and develop greenspaces, while the Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy is the nonprofit being created to own and steward conserved land long-term.
“The Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy will honor Detroit’s legacy of innovation in land stewardship by providing more tools and support to create, protect and shape green spaces that build community,” said Hayosh.
What the Future Holds
The report concludes that Detroit’s vacant land, often viewed as a burden, can instead become a cornerstone of the city’s long-term resilience. By investing in green space today, Detroit can reduce public maintenance costs, strengthen ecosystems, and provide healthier, safer neighborhoods for generations to come.
“Detroit has a chance to lead the nation in showing how cities can turn land challenges into opportunities for health, sustainability and community pride,” said Goss.
Initial research, planning and stakeholder engagement for the initiative and the Saving for the Future Report is supported by the Gilbert Family Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Additional support is provided by The Kresge Foundation.
To view “Saving for the Future: Land Conservation in Detroit, visit Saving for the Future: Land Conservation in Detroit. To make donations to support the work of the Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy, visit Detroit Future City’s webpage. Donors should provide a note when submitting their donation indicating support for the Detroit GreenSpace Conservancy.
# # # #