Walk and record the condition of vacant lots on a Detroit east side block (2026-07-19)

Detroit's east side holds some of the city's densest concentrations of vacant lots, and which ones are mowed, which are dumped on, and which could become gardens changes month to month. A current block-by-block condition record is the map that lets cleanup and greening crews — the follow-on doing work — go straight to the worst lots. Standard: Detroit Land Bank Authority lot stewardship practice; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Proof: Per-lot survey record with sidewalk photos Method (Detroit Land Bank Authority lot stewardship practice; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.): 1. Pick a block face in the Osborn area and identify every vacant lot on it from the public sidewalk. 2. For each lot, record overgrowth height, litter level, dumping, standing water, and any structures. 3. Rank the lots from most to least in need of the follow-on cleanup work. 4. Note lots that look like candidates for garden or meadow conversion. 5. Photograph every lot from the sidewalk with GPS and date on and record the full survey. Done when: Per-lot survey record with sidewalk photos

Where

Vacant lots, block faces near E Seven Mile Rd and Gratiot Ave, Osborn, Detroit, MI 48205

Pay

$140 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Per-lot survey record with sidewalk photos

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-10-18

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–180 minutes. Method of record: Vacant/blighted residential-parcel stewardship — condition survey, native low-mow meadow seeding, and community raised-bed conversion. USDA/SARE sustainable land-conversion practice + Xerces Society no-till native-seeding guidance; proceeds only with the parcel owner (private owner, or the city/county land bank) having invited or authorized the work at claim time.

Bring

• camera + tape measure
• trash grabber/rake + heavy-duty bags for debris
• hand tools: shovel, hard rake, hand tiller (no-till surface prep only)
• native low-mow seed mix appropriate to the region, or raised-bed lumber/soil for the build variant
• gloves + closed-toe boots + eye protection
• wheelbarrow

Steps

1. 1. Confirm parcel ownership/authorization status (city/county land bank listing or private-owner invitation) and photograph the lot as found, noting dumped debris, standing water, and existing vegetation.
2. 2. Clear loose trash and dumped debris to a safe hauling point; document anything too large or hazardous for hand removal rather than forcing it.
3. 3. For the meadow variant: lightly rake the surface for seed-to-soil contact (no deep tillage) and broadcast the native low-mow mix at the labeled rate. For the raised-bed variant: site and build the bed frame level, back-fill with the planned soil mix, and confirm drainage.
4. 4. Water in the seeding or the finished bed, and mark the treated area's boundary (flags or a low border) so it reads as tended, not abandoned.
5. 5. Photograph the finished area from the same vantage as the before photo and log the treated square footage.
6. 6. Enter the ownership/authorization reference, before/after photos, and the treatment log into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• No ownership/authorization reference available (not on a land-bank list, no owner contact) -> STOP: document only, do not clear or plant; route to the city land-bank program for authorization.
• Debris includes anything suggesting hazardous dumping (drums, unlabeled chemical containers, sharps) -> STOP: do not handle; photograph from a safe distance and report to 311/code enforcement instead of clearing it yourself.
• Standing water present with mosquito larvae or a suspected illicit discharge source -> document and report to the MS4/311 line before proceeding with ground work.

What counts as done

• Parcel ownership/authorization reference recorded before any work begins
• Before and after photos from a matching vantage showing debris cleared and the meadow seeded or bed built
• Treated area boundary clearly marked so the lot reads as actively stewarded
• Treated square footage and materials (seed mix or bed lumber/soil) logged

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.