Our Blog
15 OctGreen Office Infusion – Issue 4: Events
Hosting events through your organization more sustainably– whether a staff meeting, a large working group session, or a conference– is a chance to not only limit and mitigate any negative impacts of the event on the environment (i.e. fuel consumption via public transit), but is also the chance to support local economic and social development (hello Detroit Bus Company!) . With the right amount of planning, of course, a ‘green’ event can save you and your organization time and money– but have you considered how a more resource sensitive event planning process could also improve the experience of your event participants, create positive change beyond the boundaries of your event, and help the environment (and the economy), all while positioning [...]
Read More ...10 OctGreen Office Infusion – Issue 3: Waste Reduction
Even the greenest among us can fall into wasteful habits when it comes to work. Our eagerness to be prepared (or even over-prepared) for meetings can lead us to print more materials than we need to so that we don’t lack any copies for an important meeting, but there are many other things we waste in our workplaces besides paper. Food, water, electricity, and everyday office supplies like paper towel, disposable plates and plastic ware are all used in excess in most offices, consuming valuable resources and costing employers money. Read the third issue of the Green Office Infusion to find out about the steps you can take, both as an individual and within your organization, to prevent waste, even [...]
Read More ...09 JulDoing the garden and digging the art with Halima Cassells at the Detroit Mural Factory
On one of the first warm days this summer, the Fellows concluded our monthly session with Detroit Mural Factory(DMF) gardens. We met director Halima Cassells in a vibrant lot on the Northend, tucked behind a party store at the corner of Kenilworth and Woodward Avenue, near the house where Halima’s father was born and where she is raising her own family today. Like many of us, Halima is a relatively recent returnee to Detroit, having left for college and then to work in the arts in Brooklyn before coming back to her hometown. Her street is rich in community, with multiple gardens, works of art, and a refurbished firehouse that in itself represents a piece of the neighborhood’s history. The [...]
Read More ...15 JunReveal Your Detroit
It was my third day on the job, unclear and uncertain how to effectively “link the DIA to local community and economic development” when I discovered that Detroit Revealed: Photographs 2000-2010 was on the books from October 2011 – April 2012. What a gift. It was almost immediate — I designed a quick concept sketch on how to engage local community based organizations to offer a creative response to this exhibition. Over time, through the collaboration of the museum and the Knight Foundation, we designed a community photography project that empowered residents and local organizations to access the museum and execute their own engagement goals in new ways. On the cusp of a grant to support the project and the [...]
Read More ...04 JunMy North End Music Melody Makers project
As a fundraising tool, Detroit4Detroit has created this short video of me speaking about my Detroit North End Music Melody Makers project and my perspective. Here’s an email about it that I’ve sent to friends. Pass it on! Hello Friends, I am the Citizen Philanthropist for my North End Music Melody Makers-Detroit Project. I need to raise $3636 to reach my project’s financial goal to implement the Musical Education program. This program is Education with an Arts and Culture focus thru Music! The funds for this project will provide for a group of 15 Detroit-area youth (ages 7-10) and their caregivers to participate in a once weekly, 3-hour music appreciation class for 12 weeks. Two mature educators with over 20 [...]
Read More ...25 MayQ + A with Tom Habitz
I discussed planning, Hamtramck, baseball, and duck blood soup with Tom Habitz over crepes at Good Girls Go to Paris in Midtown. A condensed version of our lively conversation is below. Dara O’Byrne: Have you ever lived outside of Michigan? No. I grew up in Dearborn and Northville, went to University of Michigan for my undergraduate degree, and then I went straight to graduate school at Wayne State in Urban Planning. DO: What did you study at Michigan? Economics DO: Wow. Economics at Michigan– that’s pretty hard core. What made you take the leap from Economics to Urban Planning? I decided I wasn’t going to pursue a business career immediately. Planning was attractive for many reasons. And it seemed like [...]
Read More ...17 MayQ & A with Bradford Frost
A VERY DETROIT BREAKFAST CLUB Bradford Frost and I met over breakfast at the White Grove, a Detroit diner that has been operating continuously since 1950 in the lower Cass Corridor. It was a cloudless Friday morning, and we were both perfectly out of place—and perfectly at home—for our meal. Interview has been condensed. Tell me about the best breakfast you’ve ever had in Detroit. So the best breakfast I ever had in Detroit was the day I proposed to my wife. We rode bikes from the Park Shelton downtown to the Breakfast House (now, Hudson’s Café). We ate omelets and drank mimosas outside. The meal was part of a whole funky day of Detroit stuff. It was bright and [...]
Read More ...14 MayGreen Office Infusion – Issue 2: Transportation
How we get to work everyday has a large impact on the size of our carbon footprint. We can walk, bike, take transit, or carpool, but most of us (76% of Americans) drive to work alone. This simple act of getting into a car and driving to work everyday consumes more than 20% of the world’s total primary energy and produces much of the world’s air pollution. In this issue of the Green Office Infusion, we provide tips on how to reduce single-occupancy vehicle commute trips for you and your organization. Supporting alternate modes of transportation promotes a healthy lifestyle, saves money, and is good for the environment. You can take action right now! May is bike to work month, May 14 – [...]
Read More ...27 AprGreen Office Infusion – Issue 1: Recycling
Implementing a recycling program in your office is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills. In this first issue of the Green Office Infusion, we provide information on how to start a recycling program at your desk, for your colleagues, or for your whole organization. We provide fun facts about recycling (for example, did you know that one recycled aluminum can saves the equivalent energy of operating a TV for 3 hours?), some great resources for recycling vendors, and guidance on how to pick a vendor and how to design a recycling system for your office. You can start implementing a recycling program in your office with our five easy steps – get [...]
Read More ...22 AprGreen Office Infusion project launches
The Detroit Revitalization Fellows are kicking off a Green Office Infusion. The idea is simple: with our 29 positions in 25 organizations throughout the city, we want to use our influence and collective impact to create more environmentally-friendly work environments. We also hope that the information we gather and share will be useful for anyone interested in individual or organizational change. Join us!
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