Now and then an old Souvenir of Detroit item will appear on eBay.

These souvenir items often highlight the most memorable or unique locations within the city — the “must see” public spaces. This blue plate is one example.

If one were to make the plate for Detroit today, it would be a bit difficult choosing among the many site candidates: Campus Maritius, RiverWalk, Ambassador Bridge, Spirit of Detroit, Comerica Park, Fox Theatre, Dequindre Cut, Belle Isle, Renaissance Center, Book Cadillac, and the always-required Michigan Central Station.

The same cannot be said for many Detroit suburbs. What would you put on a Rochester Hills plate besides the Clinton River and Paint Creek Trail? It seems Troy’s choices drop off fast once you include Somerset Mall and their historic area. And what about Clinton Township?

So what? What’s the market for souvenir plates nowadays?

But it’s really not about plates. It’s about building memorable and unique public spaces that help attract and retain residents — something we’re not doing very well in Michigan.

According to a presentation given by Gary Heidel, Interim Director for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (October 2010):

Heidel also adds that urban/city placemaking should include:

Expanding a waterfront walk and bicycle system, and promoting and contributing to an integrated regional bicycle trail system with excellent connections in the city and adjoining jurisdictions.

So placemaking is just another justification for promoting bicycling and trails in Detroit.

And good placemaking means good plate making.

Below are some photos taken this week of the new Conner Creek Greenway segment from Jefferson Avenue to the Detroit River at Mahera Gentry Park.

This 1.3 mile segment includes four different types of bicycle facilities! We have photos of each type.

Photo 1: Starting at Jefferson and heading south, there is a short stretch of shared, signed-roadway. It is signed as such.

Photo 2: The bike lanes begin.

Photo 3: Bayview Yacht Club needed occasional special events parking along Clairpointe about four times a year. There wasn’t enough roadway width for bike lanes and dedicated parking, so only the latter was constructed. However, since there are very rarely any cars parked here, it becomes a wide de facto bike lane. The road is signed as a bike route, too. This is a clever win-win solution that’s been used successfully in Chicago.

Photo 4: This is where approximately 2,000 (?) feet of shared-use path winds through Maheras Gentry Park and ends along the Detroit River.

According to some recent news from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Michigan leads all other states for the number of rail-trail miles.

Michigan currently has 2,478 miles. Minnesota is a close second with 2,309 while Wisconsin sits in third with 1,788.

Not all of these trail miles are as well-developed as the Paint Creek or Dequindre Cut, but they’re open so they count.

It’s good to see Michigan leading the nation in a positive category.

SCA Detroit's Schcari Wade says making a difference for Detroit is "important because I live here." / Photo: Digging Detroit

The new hiking/biking trails at Rouge Park on Detroit’s west side began in 2004. Michigan Mountain Biking Association (MMBA) members Harvey Santana (who just won the state representative Democratic primary for the 10th district) and Todd Scott (myself) helped kick off the project. REI gave a generous grant to the project and volunteers helped build the trail.

It wasn’t completed, and after a change in project leadership, everything stalled.

Detroiters Chris Frey and Jason Friedmann re-started this project and by partnering with the Student Conservation Association (SCA), have really taken this to the next level.

Digging Detroit posted an excerpt from the SCA’s Conservation Quarterly, The Green Way. It’s called SCA Crews Drive Motor City Makeover and here’s a portion of it.

Many SCA stories are about changing a student’s life.  Others focus on changing the fortunes of a national park.  This one is about changing the mindset of an entire city.

It’s August.  A blazing sun stokes the temperature into the 90s.  The heat index is well into the triple figures.  The mosquitoes are omnipresent and voracious.

Welcome to Detroit, where a crew of local high school students is cutting a new trail through Rouge Park.  The soil is dry and hard as a half dozen teens spread out, Pulaskis in hand, to grade a stretch they cleared the day before.

…

SCA Detroit is part of a nationwide, community-based SCA program that provides outdoor summer jobs to underrepresented youth.  Some 80 students participate in the Motor City alone, and they have much in common.   The majority are in their second or even third summer with SCA.  They constantly refer to the camaraderie spawned by their diligent teamwork.  And a common theme runs through their reasons for being there.

This is a clearly a great story on so many fronts.

It’s more than just building a trail.