OpenIDEO - How might we restore vibrancy in cities and regions facing economic decline? - Concepting - Revitalizing Detroit: A Collaborative Approach (Updated - pls check out the first download ppt file)

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Revitalizing Detroit: A Collaborative Approach (Updated - pls check out the first download ppt file)

The purpose of this concept is to build a collaborative network of stakeholders and a platform for collective action in order to to enable change agents in Detroit to become more effective at revitalizing their city.

Context. I was born in Detroit and grew up just outside of the city. The automobile and other manufacturing businesses employed many of my friends with whom I went to high school. Over the years it’s been tough to witness the lay-offs and the downward trends in education, employment, and quality of life in Detroit. I recently returned from a visit there and was inspired by the current efforts to mobilize and revitalize Detroit.

Purpose. The purpose of this concept is to build a collaborative network of stakeholders and a platform for collective action in order to to enable change agents in Detroit to become more effective at revitalizing their city.

Desired Outcomes/Deliverables:

Establish a network of change agents and organizations that are focused on revitalizing Detroit

Create a map that visually displays the human, economic, and cultural capital of Detroit neighborhoods

Develop an assessment of stakeholders’ assets, constraints, relationships, and the processes being used to transform Detroit

Design a collaborative platform to:

1) Share knowledge, resources, and opportunities

2) Align interests and actions

3) Solve stakeholder problems

4) Connect resources to needs of the community

Approach. This concept will bolster ongoing efforts to revitalize Detroit and potentially fill gaps that have not been discovered or still require attention. In these stressful economic times, people may feel more compelled to share limited or stretched resources and thus be more willing to be part of a collaborative effort. Additionally, given the complex challenges facing Detroit, it’s safe to assume that no one business, foundation, university or government agency has the requisite resources, expertise, authorities, or understanding of the local environment to revitalize Detroit by itself. Therefore, by creating a shared map of the current situation and a network of change agents this concept will help catalyze projects of mutual interest and scale effective grassroots efforts.

To put this approach into action, I recommend that we:

Conduct an inventory of the:

1) current initiatives to transform Detroit

2) processes change agents are using to engage their community and other stakeholders

3) assets, capital, risks, and constraints associated with ongoing and planned revitalization projects

Map political, social, economic dynamics and perceptions of stakeholders in Detroit. Overlay this map with current employment, housing, demographics, education, crime, and other relevant data. This snapshot would help further identify:

1) neighborhoods for engagement

2) possible duplication of effort and untapped opportunities

With the inventory and map in hand, then enable the appropriate change agents to help facilitate and make their work more effective. Partnering with Detroit’s change agents would include focusing on identifying key actors in the community, private sector, foundations, professional associations, and universities who are already committed to revitalizing Detroit.

Establish a community of interest and facilitate conversations with interested stakeholders to continue to build the visual representation of what’s happening on the ground and find new ways to share information and resources. This would positively serve Detroit in several ways. By building a comprehensive picture together, different groups can have a greater voice and be part of a process that can further galvanize the community. Also, a map that includes various perspectives helps build common ground and show pathways for collaboration. Change agents with good intentions, skills, and/or resources do not always know who may be working on similar efforts a few blocks or neighborhoods away. A map and a series of stakeholder forums will help identify who is working effectively on what action where, and also identify potential blind spots and overlap.

Initial Actions:

Set up a series of facilitated forums to help bring people face-to-face to share knowledge, problems, opportunities, and possibilities for collective action.

Create a collaborative online forum to help facilitate the continued sharing of information and mapping efforts.

Develop pilot projects to bolster success or address a gap, while at the same time create ways to streamline already existing projects to increase effectiveness and focus of community mobilization efforts.

Reach out to the following groups to begin creating a map and community of interested stakeholders who are already making progress in revitalizing Detroit:

I am Young Detroit http://IAmYoungDetroit.com/

Detroit Venture Partners http://detroitventurepartners.com/

TechTown http://techtownwsu.org/

Wayne State University Fellows http://wayne.edu/detroitfellows/

University of Detroit’s Collaborative Design Center http://architecture.udmercy.edu/

Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/

Bizdom University http://www.bizdom.com/

Green Garage Detroit http://greengaragedetroit.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

Detroit Creative Corridor http://www.detroitcreativecorridorcenter.com/

15 x 15 Initiative http://www.hudson-webber.org/missionvision/15x15-initiative

The Skillman Foundation http://www.skillman.org/Good-Neighborhoods

The Kresge Foundation http://www.kresge.org/

Project for Public Spaces http://www.pps.org/

Detroit Mayor Bing’s Office http://www.detroitmi.gov/DepartmentsandAgencies/MayorsOffice.aspx

Engage the following groups to explore the actual production of the map

Data Driven Detroit http://datadrivendetroit.org/data-mapping/neighborhood-indicators/city-of-detroit-report/

Digital Placemaking http://www.pps.org/blog/blog/digital-placemaking-authentic-civic-engagement/

The United Nation’ s Global Pulse http://www.unglobalpulse.org/

Hans Rosling’s applied research http://www.gapminder.org/

Next Steps:

Organize a conference co-hosted by Steelcase and IDEO.org to bring together the stakeholders identified above to meet face-to-face in Detroit to further discover common ground, develop a community of interest, co-create opportunities for collective action, and design a platform for future collaboration.

Ask stakeholders to brief their initiatives, challenges, constraints, what is working and not working, and recommendations to build momentum.

Invite IDEO designers as well as foundations (like the Kresge Foundation) and local universities (like University of Detroit’s Collaborative Design Center) in order to connect the design know-how, funding, and other relevant resources to the concrete problems and needs of Detroit change agents.

Include local mapping organizations (such as Data Driven Detroit) as participants in the conference in order to build a comprehensive picture of what’s happening in Detroit neighborhoods as part of the conference’s collaborative process. Combine existing databases with the narratives being shared in the conference in order to provide a map of the current context, and integrate the mapping effort with ongoing projects.

Consider Mayor Dave Bing and other prominent Detroit leaders (from the business, civic, and writing/artistic communities) as keynote speakers or members of a senior leader panel as a way to generate media interest and galvanize influential support for this initiative.

Out of this collaborative process, catalyze and improve the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives, and start pilot projects using local expertise and resources in order to address blind spots or opportunities that emerge from the conference.

Create an online collaborative platform to support the community of stakeholders, share knowledge and best practices, update the maps, and build continuity and momentum for projects.

Conclusion. Detroit faces serious social and economic issues. In spite of these difficult challenges, local change agents from the public and private sectors are taking critical initiatives to revitalize their city. By creating a collaborative network and online platform, this initiative will help community leaders align interests, share local knowledge, catalyze projects, and locate and deliver resources to where they are most needed.

What resources (money, time, people, technology, etc) will your concept need to be successful?

1) Conference Organizer - one person
2) Conference Facilitator - two people
3) Conference Logistical Support- four people
4) Conference Site
5) Community of Interest Manager - one person
6) IT Support for Online Collaboration Site - one person

To keep costs low, this project will utilize local resources, community volunteers, and human capital already involved in transforming Detroit. This concept focuses more on optimizing the local assets, knowledge, and relationships that are already available, rather than develop new resources. Additionally, by bringing together grassroots leaders who are working closest to Detroit's challenges with organizations that already have resources available to revitalize Detroit, the concept will also help generate support for emerging opportunities in an effective fashion.

What steps could you take to implement this idea today?

1) Identify volunteers and interested parties in Detroit who would like to help organize the conference, community of interest, and online collaboration site.

2) Develop conference agenda and online collaboration site

3) Locate a suitable venue in Detroit to host the collaboration conference

4) Contact Data Driven Detroit and interested universities to combine efforts to map Detroit neighborhoods

5) Send out invitations to conference participants

How can your idea be scaled so that it's implemented in cities around the world?

The following are the key actions required to adapt and scale this idea in other cities around the world:

1) Identify important and urgent issues, mutual interests, or complex problems that civic, government, and business leaders collectively face in select urban areas

2) Provide a forum to bring together community leaders in order to identify mutual interests, available assets, constraints, and what actions positive deviant individuals are finding successful in their respective neighborhoods

3) Facilitate conversations at forums so that community leaders from different domains can learn from each other, find common ground, develop superordinate goals, and take collective action using local resources

4) Build a network of committed stakeholders and a collaborative platform so that change agents can stay engaged, share best practices, optimize resources, and build momentum on projects of mutual interest

5) Work with local universities, foundations, and businesses to identify additional resources to address emerging opportunities of mutual interest

My Virtual Team

LaToya Burton

Victor Cheng

Sophie Friedel

Michael Jones

Meena Kadri

Michael McDearmon

Holly McKie

Callie Neylan

Imran Oomer

Paul Reader

Rose Theresa

Lindsay Wright

66 Evaluations so far

How well does this concept restore vibrancy to cities and regions facing economic decline?

This concept will definitely restore vibrancy to struggling cities
This concept has potential to restore vibrancy to struggling cities
This concept will not restore vibrancy to struggling cities

How scalable is this concept across struggling cities and regions worldwide?

This concept could be scaled for impact across multiple locations
This concept will take a fair bit of work to build and scale
This concept is not particularly scalable

Does this concept require a lot of resources (time, money, people, etc) to achieve impact?

Not really – few resources would be needed to get results
Somewhat – significant resources would be needed to get results
Yes – considerable resources would be needed to get results

How easy would it be for our community to design an early prototype of this concept?

Easy – we could start prototyping this today
A bit tricky – but we could figure it out
Not at all easy – we'd need help from outside experts on this

Overall, how do you feel about this concept?

It rocked my world
I liked it but preferred others
It didn't get me overly excited

How well does this concept restore vibrancy to cities and regions facing economic decline?

This concept will definitely restore vibrancy to struggling cities This concept has potential to restore vibrancy to struggling cities This concept will not restore vibrancy to struggling cities

How scalable is this concept across struggling cities and regions worldwide?

This concept could be scaled for impact across multiple locations This concept will take a fair bit of work to build and scale This concept is not particularly scalable

Does this concept require a lot of resources (time, money, people, etc) to achieve impact?

Not really – few resources would be needed to get results Somewhat – significant resources would be needed to get results Yes – considerable resources would be needed to get results

How easy would it be for our community to design an early prototype of this concept?

Easy – we could start prototyping this today A bit tricky – but we could figure it out Not at all easy – we'd need help from outside experts on this

Overall, how do you feel about this concept?

It rocked my world I liked it but preferred others It didn't get me overly excited

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Downloads

: open-ideo-refined-concept-final.ppt

: open-ideo-refined-concept-1.pptx

: open-ideo-refined-concept.pptx

: potential-detroit-revitalization-process.pptx

Comments

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Michael Jones

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January 07, 2012, 11:20PM

Hey Fred, congrats on reaching the refinement stage. You might try to connect with Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) http://www.facebook.com/DCDC.UDM as an established local partner.

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Michael Jones's reply to Michael Jones's comment

Michael Jones

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January 07, 2012, 11:35PM

Apologies, i just found the DCDC in your list above!

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Fred Krawchuk's reply to Michael Jones's comment

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previous 62 of 329 concepts next Concept back to list

Revitalizing Detroit: A Collaborative Approach (Updated - pls check out the first download ppt file)

What resources (money, time, people, technology, etc) will your concept need to be successful?

What steps could you take to implement this idea today?

How can your idea be scaled so that it's implemented in cities around the world?

My Virtual Team

66 Evaluations so far

How well does this concept restore vibrancy to cities and regions facing economic decline?

How scalable is this concept across struggling cities and regions worldwide?

Does this concept require a lot of resources (time, money, people, etc) to achieve impact?

How easy would it be for our community to design an early prototype of this concept?

Overall, how do you feel about this concept?

How well does this concept restore vibrancy to cities and regions facing economic decline?

How scalable is this concept across struggling cities and regions worldwide?

Does this concept require a lot of resources (time, money, people, etc) to achieve impact?

How easy would it be for our community to design an early prototype of this concept?

Overall, how do you feel about this concept?

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