Public Spaces Community Places crowdfunding campaigns launch across Detroit to create communally owned agriculture in vibrant public spaces

LANSING, Mich. - A community-owned micro-orchard and series of urban gardens will all be completed in the Metro Detroit area with support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's (MEDC) Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) grant match program. Through the PSCP program, eligible projects lead a crowdfunding campaign to secure a matching grant from the MEDC, hosted on the Detroit-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

Two campaigns are launching in Detroit, both focused on community-owned agriculture and local accessibility to food. The first project is a community-owned micro-orchard in the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood called Antoinette's Corner . The public orchard will activate four vacant lots in the neighborhood, planting mature fruit-bearing trees, a sensory herb garden, a natural pollinator gardens, and raised garden beds with fruit-bearing bushes. The space will feature a covered pavilion area with seating and a storage shed for shared tools. Led and maintained by a team of NW Goldberg neighborhood residents, this park will not only produce actual fruit for neighbors to enjoy, but also provide interactive, educational programming highlighting what can be done with real fruit.

"We are thrilled to be working with the MEDC and Patronicity on another project in the NW Goldberg neighborhood. ANTIONETTE'S CORNER will transform four vacant lots into a micro-orchard, home to fruit bearing bushes and trees, pickable produce and free community programming related to healthy eating and active lifestyles," said Daniel Washington, executive director of NW Goldberg Cares. "In light of recent reductions in federal support for low-income food access such as SNAP benefits, parks like these are going to be critical to build grassroots networks that increase community resilience."

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $40,000 by July 15, the project will win a matching grant from the MEDC.

The second Detroit project is the Charge Up Detroit Micro-Resilience Hub , which will create a series of urban gardens and connected pathways through neighborhoods in Southwest Detroit. Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision and the North Toledo Block Club Detroit are leading the project, which puts residents in charge of neighborhood development while providing access to clean energy through solar panels. This project is the anchor site of The Southwest Detroit Chargeway, a resident-designed, scattered-site network of gardens that beautifies the neighborhood, improves connectivity, increases access to resources, and solves needs around mobility and traffic violence.

"We are so excited to have the opportunity to raise funds to complete the Charge Up Detroit Community Garden. This project was conceived and designed by residents, and the site truly reflects what is needed in this neighborhood," said Raquel Garcia, executive director of SDEV. "We are eager to raise these funds so we can complete our first community garden, set a precedent, and continue building more gardens through the Chargeway Scattered Site Network in Southwest Detroit."

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 by June 29, the project will win a matching grant from the MEDC.

"These Detroit-based projects showcase local leaders rising up to meet the evolving needs of their communities," said MEDC Regional Development Managing Director Paula Holtz. "We are pleased to provide resources for these efforts through our Public Spaces Community Places program."

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity, in which residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan .

"From food accessibility and community recreation to urban beautification, these placemaking projects are examples of municipalities making the people who live there a priority," said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League. "This is the kind of thing we love to see as we work to create thriving communities."

The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of April 27, 2026, MEDC has provided more than $14.7 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 424 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $16.77 million raised from 77,014 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, and Twitter.