Placemaking : Features

Urban revitalization is not built on stadiums and skyscrapers alone. Vibrant cities begin with passionate people working on the ground, doing the creative heavy lifting to make their communities better. Leading up to Urban Innovation Exchange Sept. 24-26 in Detroit, we take a look at 13 small projects with big potential.

Beginning March 10, Detroiters will once again have an opportunity to win funding for their arts projects through the Knight Arts Challenge, offering a share of $3 million for arts and culture projects that engage and enrich the city. The deadline for the contest, now in its second year, is April 7. 

Khalilah Burt Gaston is the new Executive Director of Vanguard Community Development Corporation, and is collaborating with residents, businesses, and institutions along the Grand + Woodward Corridor to implement a cohesive plan for community development as part of the Grand + Woodward Building Sustainable Communities Initiative. 

With the "Light up Livernois" event coming up May 31-June 1, Claire Nelson takes a tuneful stroll down the Avenue of Fashion, shining a light on one of Detroit's most historic retail districts. Conclusion? Cooperation and collaboration point to an even more vibrant future.  

UIX editor Nicole Rupersburg takes a look at the city that is evolving more every day. It's springtime: a time of rebirth and renewal. Detroit's interminable winter has finally come to an end.

Chris Uhl left the world of banking to join the Skillman Foundation (as a director, no less). Here he reflects on his reasons for making that life-changing decision to dedicate his life to changemaking. 

Photographer Noah Stephens goes out in search of innovation and crosses paths (more than once) with a young Detroiter on a mission to transform unused parcels into parks. Meet Kyle Bartell, who has a vision to create more public gathering spaces in places where trails are already being blazed. (Photo essay from The People of Detroit for UIX.)

Who doesn't love a "design on a dime" makeover show? You know the ones, where a homeowner is given an impossible budget and deadline to totally transform a space, then through sheer creativity and resourcefulness (and maybe some clever editing), the place comes to life - huzzah! Well, the same is possible with public spaces. Urban designer-types call this "tactical urbanism." What they really mean is activating places quickly & cheaply. How can we do more of this in Detroit?