This Street View series on Detroit's corridors is made possible with support from the Ford Foundation. Model D highlights equitable development work and economic growth led by Detroit-based residents, grassroots organizations, and community development groups.
There is a genealogy to Detroit’s neighborhood maps and naming choices. Oftentimes, the line drawing and naming did not involve Detroit residents, — the very people who reside in a geographic area — because naming and claiming space can be very political or have broader economic or real estate aims that are not concerned with resident perspectives.
“When we assist local entrepreneurs in opening grocery stores right in the neighborhoods they know best, it empowers residents to meet essential needs while creating new jobs," says DEGC President and CEO Kevin Johnson. "This is one way to drive opportunity that uplifts our whole community.”
“Innovative thinking coming out of Detroit's eastside neighborhoods is nothing new,” says Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League.
Black developers are involved and benefiting in higher-stakes projects, but there are still numerous underserved neighborhoods waiting to see the same levels of investment as Downtown and Midtown.
“Equitable access to high-speed internet and digital literacy tools can mean the difference between success and failure for our residents, whether they’re working on schoolwork, finding a job, or navigating workforce training tools,” says Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison.
“Our Black Business Reunion is a celebration and recognition of Detroit’s Black business community, their everlasting legacy and the impact they make in our everyday lives,” says Christianne Malone, chief program officer at TechTown Detroit.
“The 32 organizations supported by this effort know their communities intimately. That positions them to provide an array of essential roles, from coordinating physical and economic development to social services to conveying needs and desires of residents to government,” says Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of Kresge’s Detroit Program.
“The Neighborhood Beautification Program continues to play an integral role in the City’s efforts to turn blight into beauty,” says Tamra Fountaine Hardy, director of HRD’s Neighborhood Services Division.
“A single electric bus can eliminate 1,690 tons of CO2 over its lifespan, the equivalent of taking 27 cars off the road," says Michigan Chief Infrastructure Officer Zachary Kolodin.
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