Game of Zones
Zoning Practice — May 2021
By Colin Scarff, Andrew Wald, AICP, Kimani Jeffrey
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The call for more meaningful dialogue between cities and citizens is now louder than ever. Today — if recent urban planning and design RFPs are any indications — planners in both government and the private sector are increasingly highlighting community engagement beyond the customary public presentation as an indispensable part of any project scope. It is especially encouraging to see a renewed commitment to including communities that have historically been marginalized and excluded from conversations that affect urban planning and changes to the built environment. But what tools are available to ensure that these conversations are meaningful and productive for everyone involved?
This issue of Zoning Practice focuses on one innovative tool the City of Detroit has been using to make urban planning more accessible, participatory, and fun, and highlights an overall approach that can help other communities seeking to engage more meaningfully on the topic of zoning and land use.
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About the Authors
Colin Scarff
Andrew Wald, AICP
Andrew Wald, AICP, is the founder and principal of Another World, a Detroit-based practice specializing in neighborhood-focused urban planning, design, engagement, and education. Andrew has over a decade of design and project leadership experience in Detroit and beyond. Andrew has worked extensively as a consultant for the City of Detroit's Planning & Development Department, including roles on four neighborhood framework plans, a citywide vacant schools study, and more. He also enjoys working with local nonprofit community-based organizations, and is currently a volunteer member of the Common Grounds Community Land Trust and the Detroit Chinatown Vision Committee. Prior to founding Another World, Andrew was Associate Principal at Interboro Partners (2016-2023); there, he established the firm’s Detroit office and managed public-sector urban design and planning projects in major cities across the Northeast and Midwest. Andrew received a Master of Architecture with High Distinction from the University of Michigan and a BA in History from Pomona College. Andrew enjoys exploring the city by bike and on foot, rafting the Detroit River, and working on his home garden.
Kimani Jeffrey