We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective

Links:wethepeopleofdetroit.com/communityresearchFacebook: We the People of DetroitDetroit Minds Dying: detroitmindsdying.org

We the People of Detroit wethepeopleofdetroit@gmail.comEmily Kutil emily.kutil@gmail.comAndrew Herscher herscher@umich.edu

We the People of Detroit Founders (left to right):Debra Taylor, Cecily McClellan, Chris Griffith, Aurora Harris, Monica Lewis-Patrick

We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective

Aurora Harris Co-Founder/Secretary of We the People of Detroit

Monica Lewis-Patrick Co-Founder, President and CEO of We the People of Detroit

Debra Taylor Co-Founder/Director of Finance and Development of We the People of Detroit

Julia Cuneo Youth Organizer, We the People of Detroit

Nadia Gaber MSTP MD/Ph.D. Student, University of California Berkley

Andrew Herscher, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Architecture, University of Michigan

Gloria House, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan Dearborn and Wayne State University

Emily Kutil Instructor, University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture

Kate Levy Artist and Filmmaker, detroitmindsdying.org

Thomas Pedroni, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies and Policy Sociology, Wayne State University,

Director of Detroit Data and Democracy Project

Kaitlin Popielarz Ph.D. Student, K-12 Curriculum and Instruction, Wayne State University

Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellermann Pastor, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, retired

Water Education Land

Images: We the People of Detroit, Detroit Independent Freedom Schools Movement, Detroit People’s Platform

Areas of research

The context of data and mapping in Detroit

Motor City Mapping Loveland

FORT

W. J

EFFE

RSON

E. JEFFERSON

MICHIGAN

FORD

GRAND RIVER

TELE

GRAP

H

8 MILE

WOODW

ARD VAN

DYKE

GRAT

IOT

50-YEAR LAND USE SCENARIO

Source: DWPLTP Planning Team

1 2 4 MILES

DETR

OIT

FUTU

RE C

ITY

| 2

012

26

The 50-year land use scenario reflects the long-term vision for a city of diverse neighborhoods, employment districts, and productive landscapes.

MIXED-USE NEIGHBORHOODS BY LAND AREA

TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS

LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIALGREEN NEIGHBORHOODS

4% 29%22%22% 15%

CITY CENTER

DISTRICT CENTER

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER

GREEN MIXED-RISE

TRADITIONAL MEDIUM DENSITY

TRADITIONAL LOW DENSITY

LIVE+MAKE

HEAVY INDUSTRIAL

UTILITIES

GENERAL INDUSTRIAL

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

GREEN RESIDENTIAL

INNOVATION PRODUCTIVE

INNOVATION ECOLOGICAL

LARGE PARK

CEMETERY

GREEN BUFFERS

Detroit Future City

Our Process and Working Values

Community Control of Data Consensus and Collaboration

How do we use our work?

Community Organizing

FundersLegal Work

Policy Work National/International Allies

Education

Research

Public Health

Graphic Narrative Techniques:

1. Make an image with existing data that answers a specific question ex: Where is water being shut off in Detroit? ex: Are African-American communities disproportionately taken over by Emergency Managers in Michigan? ex: How many students are being displaced by school closings in Detroit?

2. Create a new research document by compiling data to tell a story ex: Compile regional water rate information to compare water bills in Detroit and suburban communities. ex: Compile education data to create a picture of the education landscape over time in Detroit.

3. Make a diagram that explains a complex situation clearly ex: Explain how water bills are structured in Detroit and its suburbs. ex: Show corporate and foundation influence on Detroit Public Schools.

MAPPING THE WATER CRISISThe Dismantling of African-American Neighborhoods in Detroit: Volume One

We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective

(A Graphic Narrative Case Study)

0-5

5-15

15-27

27-51

51-88

Residential Water Shutoffs in Detroitbased on compiled DWSD FOIA data, January 2015—February 2016 (by Census Block Group)*

Water Shutoffs Displace Families and Destabilize Neighborhoods

1. Make an image with existing data that answers a specific question

25 African-American People

25 White People

25 People of Other Races

Municipalities under past or current Emergency Management or Consent Agreement

25 Black People25 White People25 People of all Other RacesMunicipalities under current or past Emergency Managementor Consent Agreement

Data Sources Race: 2013 American Community Survey: 5-Year Data [2009-2013, Block Groups & Larger Areas]Census Block Group Boundaries: US Census Tiger/Line DataEmergency Management: Michigan Department of Treasury Emergency Manager Informationhttp://www.michigan.gov/treasury/0,1607,7-121-1751_51556-201116--,00.html Accessed 12/3/2015

Race and Emergency Management in Southeast Michigan

25 Black People25 White People25 People of all Other RacesMunicipalities under current or past Emergency Managementor Consent Agreement

Data Sources Race: 2013 American Community Survey: 5-Year Data [2009-2013, Block Groups & Larger Areas]Census Block Group Boundaries: US Census Tiger/Line DataEmergency Management: Michigan Department of Treasury Emergency Manager Informationhttp://www.michigan.gov/treasury/0,1607,7-121-1751_51556-201116--,00.html Accessed 12/3/2015

Race and Emergency Management in Southeast Michigan

25 Black People25 White People25 People of all Other RacesMunicipalities under current or past Emergency Managementor Consent Agreement

Data Sources Race: 2013 American Community Survey: 5-Year Data [2009-2013, Block Groups & Larger Areas]Census Block Group Boundaries: US Census Tiger/Line DataEmergency Management: Michigan Department of Treasury Emergency Manager Informationhttp://www.michigan.gov/treasury/0,1607,7-121-1751_51556-201116--,00.html Accessed 12/3/2015

Race and Emergency Management in Southeast Michigan

25 Black People25 White People25 People of all Other RacesMunicipalities under current or past Emergency Managementor Consent Agreement

Data Sources Race: 2013 American Community Survey: 5-Year Data [2009-2013, Block Groups & Larger Areas]Census Block Group Boundaries: US Census Tiger/Line DataEmergency Management: Michigan Department of Treasury Emergency Manager Informationhttp://www.michigan.gov/treasury/0,1607,7-121-1751_51556-201116--,00.html Accessed 12/3/2015

Race and Emergency Management in Southeast Michigan

City of FlintEmergency Manager 2/2002—6/2004, 12/2011—4/2015

City of PontiacEmergency Manager 8/2010—8/2013

Pontiac City School DistrictConsent Agreement 8/2013—Present

Royal Oak TownshipConsent Agreement 4/2014—Present

City of DetroitConsent Agreement 4/2012—8/2012Emergency Manager 3/2013—12/2014

Detroit Public SchoolsEmergency Manager 3/2009—Present

City of HamtramckConsent Agreement 4/2012—8/2012Emergency Manager 3/2013—12/2014

City of Highland ParkEmergency Manager 12/2000—7/2009Currently under evaluation

Highland Park School DistrictEmergency Manager 1/2012—Present

Wayne CountyConsent Agreement 8/2015—Present

City of River RougeConsent Agreement 12/2009—Present

City of EcorseEmergency Manager 10/2009—4/2013

City of Lincoln ParkEmergency Manager 7/2014—12/2015

City of Allen ParkEmergency Manager 10/2012—9/2014

City of InksterConsent Agreement 2/2012—Present

Muskegon Heights School DistrictEmergency Manager 4/2012—Present

City of Benton HarborEmergency Manager 4/2010—3/2014

Benton Harbor Area SchoolsConsent Agreement 9/2014—Present

Race and Municipal Emergency Managementin Southeast Michigan

1. Make an image with existing data that answers a specific question

Annual water service bill of residential customer using 8,400 cubic-feet of water a year with a 5/8” meter. Does not include wastewater.

Data Source South Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) rate study:http://www.socwa.org/documents/WATRATE%20SURVEY.pdfSOCWA budget, 2014-2015: http://www.socwa.org/documents/WABudget2014.pdfDWSD rates: http://www.dwsd.org/pages_n/rate_information.html

Berkeley*

Beverly Hills*

Birmingham*

Detroit

Hazel Park

Lathrup Village*

Royal Oak*

Southfield*

Troy

Money paid to DWSDMoney paid to suburban community

0 125 250 375

*South Oakland County Water Authority Members

DWSD

SUBURBAN WATER

AUTHORITIES

DETROITRESIDENTS

SUBURBANRESIDENTS

WHO

LESALE $

RETAIL $

RETAIL $

Wholesale Rates vs. Retail MarkupsAnnual water service bill of a residential customer using 8,400 cubic-feet of water per year with a standard 5/8” meter. Does not include wastewater.*Member of South Oakland County Water Authority

Annual water service bill of residential customer using 8,400 cubic-feet of water a year with a 5/8” meter. Does not include wastewater.

Data Source South Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) rate study:http://www.socwa.org/documents/WATRATE%20SURVEY.pdfSOCWA budget, 2014-2015: http://www.socwa.org/documents/WABudget2014.pdfDWSD rates: http://www.dwsd.org/pages_n/rate_information.html

Berkeley*

Beverly Hills*

Birmingham*

Detroit

Hazel Park

Lathrup Village*

Royal Oak*

Southfield*

Troy

Money paid to DWSDMoney paid to suburban community

0 125 250 375

*South Oakland County Water Authority Members

DWSD

SUBURBAN WATER

AUTHORITIES

DETROITRESIDENTS

SUBURBANRESIDENTS

WHO

LESALE $

RETAIL $

RETAIL $

Money retained by DWSD

Money retained by suburban municipality

Annual water service bill of residential customer using 8,400 cubic-feet of water a year with a 5/8” meter. Does not include wastewater.

Data Source South Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) rate study:http://www.socwa.org/documents/WATRATE%20SURVEY.pdfSOCWA budget, 2014-2015: http://www.socwa.org/documents/WABudget2014.pdfDWSD rates: http://www.dwsd.org/pages_n/rate_information.html

Berkeley*

Beverly Hills*

Birmingham*

Detroit

Hazel Park

Lathrup Village*

Royal Oak*

Southfield*

Troy

Money paid to DWSDMoney paid to suburban community

0 125 250 375

*South Oakland County Water Authority Members

DWSD

SUBURBAN WATER

AUTHORITIES

DETROITRESIDENTS

SUBURBANRESIDENTS

WHO

LESALE $

RETAIL $

RETAIL $

Berkley*

Beverly Hills*

Birmingham*

Lathrup Village*

Royal Oak*

Southfield*

Hazel Park

Troy

Detroit

0 125 250 375Annual Bill ($)

DWSD Wholesale Suburban Water Rates

2. Create a new research document by compiling data to tell a story

6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0

Jan

10

Feb

10

Mar

10

Apr

10

May

10

Jun

10

Jul 1

0

Aug

10

Sep

10

Oct

10

Nov

10

Dec

10

Jan

11

Feb

11

Mar

11

Apr

11

May

11

Jun

11

Jul 1

1

Aug

11

Sep

11

Oct

11

Nov

11

Dec

11

Jan

12

Feb

12

Mar

12

Apr

12

May

12

Jun

12

Jul 1

2

Aug

12

Sep

12

Oct

12

Nov

12

Dec

12

Jan

13

Feb

13

Mar

13

Apr

13

May

13

Jun

13

Jul 1

3

Aug

13

Sep

13

Oct

13

Nov

13

Dec

13

Jan

14

Feb

14

Mar

14

Apr

14

May

14

Jun

14

Jul 1

4

Aug

14

Sep

14

Oct

14

Nov

14

Dec

14

Jan

15

Feb

15

Mar

15

Apr

15

May

15

Jun

15

Jul 1

5

Aug

15

Sep

15

Oct

15

DETROIT UNDEREMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT

April 2014Detroit enters into a 2-year, $5.6 million contract with Homrich, Inc., a demolition company, to shut o� water from citizens who are either 45 days late or over $150 delinquent on their water bills.

The City of Flint is removed from DWSD's system and begins drawing water from the Flint River. The loss of Flint as a customer contributes to DWSD's financial precarity and to the replacement of DWSD with the Great Lakes Water Authority.

March 2013The City of Detroit is placed under the control of Kevyn Orr, a state-appointed Emergency Manager.

July 2013Kevyn Orr declares bankruptcy on behalf of the City of Detroit.

September 2014The Great Lakes Water Authority is formed.

Num

ber o

f Shu

to�s

FLINT UNDER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Water Shuto�s, Emergency Managment, the Removal of Flint from DWSD System, and the Great Lakes Water AuthorityData Sources Water Shuto�s: Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.Community Resistance Timeline: Bill Wylie Kellermann, “Water Struggle Timeline,” On the Edge, Autumn/Winter 2015.

2. Create a new research document by compiling data to tell a story

DWSD

SUBURBAN WATER

AUTHORITIES

DETROITRESIDENTS

SUBURBANRESIDENTS

RETAIL $

RETAIL $

WH

OLESA

LE $

DWSD Wholesale Suburban Water Rates

3. Make a diagram that explains a complex situation clearly

Our data visualization tools:

Data Collection, Storage and Compilation - Excel spreadsheets - Numbers (mac version of Excel) - Google Drive

Mapping - QGIS (Open-source GIS software available at qgis.org)

Graphics - Adobe Illustrator

Where do you get your data?

1. Your Own Community “Big data” can be useful, but often the information you need is already within your community. Consulting experts within your network and doing community surveys are some of the most powerful ways to visualize information that will be useful to your community.

2. Open Data Portals Most city, state and national governments have open data portals where they share data, geographic and otherwise.

3. Census Data Download census data at nhgis.org (NHGIS = National Historical Geographic Information System)

4. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests Public bodies (city, state, and national government organizations) must honor FOIA requests. If the data you need is held by one of these organizations, you can submit a FOIA request.