Young people tackle re-imagining and redefining Detroit

A large group of young people with creative ideas to re-imagine Detroit gathered for the [de-fine] Detroit event in M@dison Building last week.

The event is the culmination of a creative competition a few dozen young people from Quicken Loans, Rock Ventures and ROSSETTI, along with students from Lawrence Technological University and the University of Detroit Mercy. The 20-plus participants created a variety of plans they see to re-imagine empty spaces in downtown Detroit and redefine how the Motor City is perceived.

Kelly Deines, Principal and Design Director at ROSSETTI, says the bottom line is to begin a conversation that will take Detroit into its future where young people repopulate its urban core and work to revitalize the city.

"You have got to dream to begin with," Deines says. "Every city that anyone cares about started with a dream."

The [de-fine] Detroit competition encouraged its participants to express their vision and experiences of the city through art. That creative process included a rap performance, architectural drawings with new proposals for old buildings and a number of other creative expressions on how to redefine Detroit.

"The question becomes what's the next phase?" Deines says. "We're not done."

Source: Kelly Deines, Principal and Design Director at ROSSETTI
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.