The Equitable Development Series explores how Detroit can grow in a way that allows people of all races, classes, and abilities to participate and benefit. The series includes stories published here in Model D as well as public events starting in August.
D4’s Equitable Development Series in partnership with Model D is made possible thanks to generous support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Knight Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation.
Even as the city changes, some artists and preservationists are trying to ensure that Detroit's rich heritage of art, music, design, and culture is here to stay.
While there was so much content to choose from and so many insightful moments throughout, here are some of the most important takeaways from our four Equitable Development panels.
Centering the voices and concerns of residents is often an essential component of community development corporations, or CDCs. And this mission is becoming more important as Detroit transforms rapidly with development.
To better understand what true community engagement is, we spoke with Detroit engagement professionals to learn their processes and find out how the city — developers, local government, and even community organizations — can do better by Detroiters.
Multiple programs in Detroit operate under the philosophy that training minority developers will result in developments that more accurately represent the interests of the city's residents.
Major development projects in Detroit offer the prospect of thousands of construction and subsequent long-term jobs. Labor leaders are working to ensure sure they pay well and that Detroiters can fill them.
Concerned about displacement and access to jobs, many Detroit citizens are offering their own vision of the city where everyone can participate in and benefit from the development taking place.
In Oakland, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh, proactive community groups and local governments negotiated deals on enormous developments that stipulated a bevy of community benefits.
How can we develop the city in a way that allows for everyone, especially its long-term residents, to benefit from the changes currently underway? That is the question we will explore in an eight-part series on equitable development.
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