Ronen Dan and his friends started the Motown Movement in Detroit to construct an easy and cost effective solution for sustainable homes in the neighbourhood. This actual example helps save building materials and produces renewable resources as well as educates the residents on reducing energy wastage.
The project will adopt various modification methods that are understandable and adaptable internationally. Collaborating with their university, they aim to expand this idea globally through a master’s program and create awareness about sustainability. (Adele Peters - “This Detroit House Is Being Turned Into a Living Model Of Cost-Saving Sustainable Design”)
The sustainable initiatives through transforming homes to lower cost is a viable plan to improve life of the residents. However, with so many voluntary organisations providing similar initiatives, their plan may not be well received by the public.
By doing a simple search on the internet, we can see countless sustainable initiatives from government and private organisation in Detroit City. It is unsurprising to see so many voluntary efforts going on in Detroit City as the city’s economy has been declining since the 1960s. Not too long ago, the city has also filed for bankruptcy on 2013. All of these setbacks have caused Detroit city to have one of the most unemployment rate in the US. Many fled the city leaving numerous run down and abandoned houses scattered across the city.
What Ronen Dan and his friends proposed is a great idea to make homes in Detroit City greener and also more cost efficient. However, it can be a inconvenient for some to visit the model house as there is currently only one model example built. Working families may not have the time available for them to visit the model. Through my research, I have found one organisation ‘GreeningDetriot’, created a web page on tips and ways to retrofit homes to be more sustainable. The tips they provide are easy to follow and products required for retrofitting are listed with provider directories. The initiative from GreeningDetroit provided a platform that is convenient to access for residents willing to retrofit their homes.
I feel what the Motown Movement can improve on is its accessibility for the public. They can create a virtual tour of the model house online through interior images linked together. These images can be tagged with appropriate information and procedure the residents can follow to retrofit their homes. By using the internet as the platform to educate the public, the project will be able to reach people around the world, not limiting only to the residents of Detroit City.
To conclude, the Motown Movement does have its advantage by having a model example built. People will have a better understanding by looking at a live model rather than from images where some details might be missed out. I hope that through all these sustainable efforts, we will soon be able to see a better Detroit City in the near future.
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