Growing-Up Warrendale: Trauma-Informed Landscape Operations for Neighborhood Intersections

by Ana Cristina Garcia (MLA I ’17)

The neighborhood of Warrendale in Detroit is transforming into a receiving community for an arriving Arab refugee and immigrant community. Although the receiving and arriving communities share little cultural or ethnic similarities, both communities have had to endure adverse and traumatic experiences. Trauma is defined by a prolonged exposure to toxic stress. Toxic stress is the body’s continued activation of physiological stress responses and, can be particularly damaging to children’s psychosocial well being. The point of departure of this project is the understanding that trauma, although stemming from different experiences in each community, has a shared neuro-developmental effect in children. This project focuses on the potential of the neighborhood to mediate the traumas of children in both the receiving and the arriving communities. The aim is to identify features in the neighborhood that trigger and contribute to a stress-response and transform them into places of physical and emotional safety for children.

Map showing the location of the Warrendale neighborhood within the limits of the city of Detroit and bordering the city of Dearborn, a largely middle eastern immigrant community. — Location of the Warrendale neighborhood within the limits of the city of Detroit and bordering the city of Dearborn, a largely middle eastern immigrant community

Diagram showing the population density diagram showing a high density of children in Warrendale. In 2016, in the city of Detroit, 1 in 5 children lived in poverty, 1 in 3 children come from a single parent household, and 1 in 10 children came from a family of immigrants. Due to the large density of children in the neighborhood, the risk for toxic stress in children is high in this neighborhood. — Population density diagram showing a high density of children in Warrendale. In 2016, in the city of Detroit, 1 in 5 children lived in poverty, 1 in 3 children come from a single parent household, and 1 in 10 children came from a family of immigrants. Due to the large density of children in the neighborhood, the risk for toxic stress in children is high in this neighborhood.

Diagram explaining trauma, which is defined as the prolonged exposure to stress without the tools to protect or eliminate the source of stress. The tools to break the cycle of toxic stress are: reduce the source of stress, support responsive relationships, and strengthen core life skills. — Trauma is defined as the prolonged exposure to stress without the tools to protect or eliminate the source of stress. The tools to break the cycle of toxic stress are: reduce the source of stress, support responsive relationships, and strengthen core life skills.

:A matrix of some of the possible combinations of operations that can be produced on a vacant lot to address the physical manifestations of toxic stress in a community. — A matrix of some of the possible combinations of operations that can be produced on a vacant lot to address the physical manifestations of toxic stress in a community.

Perspective rendering of a combination of operations deployed on a vacant corner lot.

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