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| Varied building footprints and heights, articulations of facades and rooflines and choices of materials and details will establish a human scale and make each building unique. |
By Jessica Eisenman
Brownfield redevelopment is commonly considered one of the most
effective ways to manage growth and curb sprawl in rapidly growing areas. As
an urban infill development that will reuse an underutilized and environmentally
contaminated 6.4-acre site, Broadway Village in Ann Arbor, Michigan, combines
the goals of brownfield redevelopment and growth management.
Through the creation of a mixed-use, transit-oriented urban village that embodies the work-live concept, this project will help mitigate the impacts of sprawl currently facing Washtenaw County’s varied landscapes.
By reusing areas located within the City of Ann Arbor where infrastructure and city services are already available, there is less need to develop the greenfields in more rural areas. In addition to managing growth through brownfield redevelopment, Ann Arbor passed a greenbelt “millage,” which allocates funds from an increase in property taxes to the purchase of property and development rights outside the city limits, aiming to help preserve open space.
However, this type of urban growth boundary requires a focus on increased density for all types of uses within city limits. Broadway Village responds to this need. As many residents stated during the planning stages of Broadway Village, “It’s essential we build higher [to combat urban sprawl]. Having a six-story building is nothing that is going to be distasteful to this city.”
This is not to say that the project has been without opposition.