WSU's Office of Economic Development (OED) is working to activate Woodward and Warren Park-adding landscaping, additional seating, shade structures and lawn games. This prototype park builds on previous WSU Placemaking Initiatives such as pop-up seating across campus, providing additional space for people to relax, study and socialize.

Woodward and Warren Park is a highly visible space, ripe for improvements given its proximity to DDOT, SMART and QLINE routes, MoGo stations, and numerous cultural institutions. Located across from the WSU Welcome Center, Woodward and Warren Park is also where WSU welcomes the world. This soon-to-be improved public park will help WSU understand how students, employees, residents and visitors use this space before deciding on a longer-term use.

OED has already raised $50,000 for the park-crowdfunding $25,000 of the $50,000 through a program called Public Spaces, Community Places. Public Spaces, Community Places is a partnership between MEDC, Michigan Municipal League and Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity. Successful campaigns receive matching funds from MEDC. The campaign ended on November 17 with generous contributions from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Midtown Detroit, Inc., Rainbow Child Care Center, the Detroit Public Library Foundation, WSU Student Senate and hundreds of individuals.

The original design was created by livingLAB, a landscape architecture and planning studio located in Midtown's Green Garage. OED has hired The Mannik and Smith Group, Inc. (MSG) to finalize the design for this space and anticipates having something to share with WSU and neighboring communities in late April. Funded improvements will be made between spring and fall of 2018. As WSU prepares to celebrate our sesquicentennial, OED looks forward to improving this key space for our campus, our neighborhood and our city.

Interested in learning more or getting involved? Contact OED's Place-Based Initiatives Manager, Emily Thompson, at emily.thompson@wayne.edu.