Neighborhood Stories

Neighborhood Stories Pilot Project

2023 Project Location: Warren to Joy

Neighborhoods: Midwest & Barton-McFarland 

Neighborhood Stories Submission Form 

The Joe Louis Greenway project received a $45,000 grant through the Community Foundation’s Ralph C. Wilson Jr Legacy Funds for Design Access to support a pilot Neighborhood Stories and Signage project between Warren and Joy. The Legacy Funds are aimed at supporting projects in Southeast Michigan that increase the walkability and bikeability of local communities.  

Construction of the first segment of Phase 1 of the Joe Louis Greenway (JLG) began in Spring, 2021 and is planned to be completed by Fall 2022. Located in the local legacy neighborhoods, long-time residents have memories growing up along the rail corridor, visiting the Historic Blue Bird Inn jazz cafe, and attending Sunday church at one of the many historical churches in the neighborhood.  

This project provides the opportunity for community residents in the adjacent Warren to Joy legacy neighborhoods, long excluded from playing an active role in development in the city, to express themselves and share these stories along the JLG through signage. See local and national examples below.  

Background: Based on a community survey, residents’ suggestions for signage included information about people who stayed in the neighborhood, memorials to honor neighborhood association leaders, well-known figures like local artist Jason Phillips, and murals exploring the diversity of the community. 

Four story-gatherers will be selected via an application process open to any resident with ties to the neighborhood. Preference will be given to residents currently residing in the neighborhood. Residents will be provided with a template and resources to collect and develop the content. With support from the City, story-gatherers will support the project by documenting stories, and conducting outreach and engagement for the duration of the project. 

If you are a resident that would like to tell the story of their neighborhood - please submit your stories through this form: Neighborhood Stories Submission Form 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to 

Hanan Yahya, Project Manager at [email protected]