Community: Sterling Heights
Population: Select
After years of cost cutting and reform measures required to survive the great recession, Sterling Heights was stuck in neutral and lacked a vision for the future. Lack of direction and negativity were pervasive, and Sterling Heights was at a proverbial fork in the road. If the City did nothing, it would head down a path of perpetual decline. Instead, the City chose to elicit intense community engagement to create a plan to invest in the future and pursue a path to prosperity. This was the impetus for Sterling Heights’ Visioning 2030 Plan which sowed the seeds for REcreating Recreation. Through this shared vision, voters chose to fund the single largest investment in quality of life services in the City’s history, and the results speak for themselves. Spaces once barren or in need of repair have now been re-purposed into spaces that serve as focal point destinations for residents and visitors alike to connect with the City in a fun and active way.
Replicability:
The ability to replicate this type of community improvement project is tied to effective civic engagement, beginning with vision and moving all the way through execution. Continually inviting residents and business owners to participate in the creation of your vision for the future results in inherent buy-in. Residents and businesses must be given the opportunity to express their needs through the master plan process, surveys, community forums, social media outlets and more. The resulting buy-in from this process provided Sterling Heights the ability to secure approval of a 0.97 dedicated millage and the funding needed to complete a large-scale initiative like REcreating Recreation. This civic engagement helped bind the City’s residents and businesses to the belief that local parks are well worth the tax dollars spent on them and a vision that identified development of unique recreational opportunities as critical ingredients to creating a “…vibrant, inclusive community for residents and businesses that is safe, active, progressive and distinctive.”
Creativity and Originality:
This transformational placemaking initiative is the single largest investment in quality of life services in Sterling Heights’ history. In order to be inclusive, we had to design amenities that could be used all year long and that would meet the needs of everyone, regardless of ability. REcreating Recreation has provided opportunities for current and prospective residents to connect with their community in new, exciting and fun ways:
• A new Community Center for structured programming
• An outdoor splash pad for youth
• A summer farmers market pavilion that transforms into a refrigerated ice rink in winter
• A captivating skate park for all ages that prevents damage to other buildings
• A mini-turf soccer field
• An indoor bocce ball court
• A new dog park for breeds of all sizes
• A trail linking a City park with the City’s nature preserve featuring multiple respite and bike repair stations
• Universally accessible paddle docks for canoers and kayakers of all abilities, even those in wheelchairs, to enjoy the mostly family-friendly stretch of the Clinton River
• Upgrades for the City’s parks and greenspaces including new sport court installations and renovations, playgrounds and other site amenities
• An interlocal agreement with the city of Warren allowing our residents use of their public pool and fitness center at their resident rates
Community Impact:
This project has had an immense positive impact on our community in a number of ways. Research has shown that when parks are created and maintained, property values increase and crime decreases. Sterling Heights has enjoyed steadily increasing property values over the last several years following the execution of the REcreating Recreation project and remains one of the safest big cities in the country. In addition, these new amenities have drawn in visitors from neighboring communities, resulting in increased business for nearby cafes, shops, bars and more. Sterling Heights has seen an increase in young families attributed to the fact that research shows they want places with a diverse range of outdoor recreational activities from walking trails to cycling and boating. Another important way REcreating Recreation has benefitted our community is providing a multitude of ways to help the local population stay active and healthy. Lastly, the focus on our parks has inspired park cleanup projects, tree plantings and other sustainability measures throughout the City.
