Crafting a unifying public realm for Detroit’s Belle Isle Commons

A walkable destination to iconic cultural institutions

Gehl led the concept design process, beginning with a stakeholder workshop alongside BIC and DNR to better understand the site’s opportunities and challenges. The resulting vision not only reimagines the Commons as a vibrant public space, but will also be used as a strategic tool for generating excitement and engaging the public – an opportunity to trial the ideas and ensure the design reflects Detroiters’ needs and desires. Completed in the Summer of 2025, the design will serve as a platform for community engagement, temporary activations, and fundraising through Fall 2025 — all aimed at refining and implementing Belle Isle Commons.

The concept design re-envisions the Commons as a unifying public realm – enhancing connectivity between destinations, creating a seamless and inviting arrival sequence, and positioning the Commons as a vibrant destination in its own right.

The design breaks down the area to create experiences that support and supplement Belle Isle’s cultural history, demographics, and popular uses — such as family reunions, barbecues, aquarium visits, and Sunday drives. An under-used, tree-lined road becomes a walkable promenade for market stalls and a gateway into the Commons. A main plaza serves as the cultural heart of the isle, a point of arrival and a place for dining, music, and dancing where surface parking stands today. Stitched together with a mobility and circulation strategy that prioritizes walking, biking, rolling, and transit, this mix of experiences creates a “stickier” experience that helps make Belle Isle Commons a vibrant, safe, and engaging space year-round.