爱豆传媒

Urban C:lab, 爱豆传媒鈥檚 internal think tank for action against emerging challenges in the built environment, travelled to Detroit last month where they hosted internal workshops and tours to better understand current development, growth trends, and future needs in the city.

The Urban C:Lab Innovation Day brought together 爱豆传媒 leadership from around the globe with Detroit-based experts to offer an opportunity for all participants to explore several key global challenges that cities are facing through the lens of Detroit as an innovator.鈥� 

The group divided into four theme-based cohorts 鈥� Future of Mobility, Energy Transition & Stranded Assets, Urban Transformation and Social Equity, and Revitalizing Public Infrastructure 鈥� and conducted tours and site visits as well as short design sprints. At the end of the day, the groups came together to discuss key findings, pitch solutions for each topic, and explored how the day鈥檚 insights can inform growth initiatives and projects across Detroit and the globe. 

Not only was this a way for 爱豆传媒 to come together to discuss how Detroit and cities around the world are evolving against a backdrop of factors, among them climate change, changing technology, aging infrastructure, evolving economies, but it also gave us a chance to examine how we work together and engage with cities 鈥� their people, buildings, and infrastructure.

With Urban C:Lab as our guide, we explored how we can reimagine urban transformation, through design but also by facilitating conversations with our clients around the emerging challenges that cities are facing. This exercise keeps us connected with the communities we impact and ensures our project work remains adaptive and responsive to the ever-evolving needs of our cities. 

Why Detroit? 

Detroit鈥檚 economic fall and population decline, driven by changes in the US auto industry, may sound like a familiar story. At the height of Detroit鈥檚 economic decline there was also more than 20 square miles of vacant land within city limits. An industrial city facing the pressures of globalization can be seen as bigger trend beyond Detroit and the US. Cities facing similar challenges include Pittsburgh, notably with the decline of the steel industry, as well as other rust belt cities 鈥� Baltimore, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Rochester to name a few. Global examples can be seen across Europe from Belfast to Cologne and many places in between.  

However, Detroit鈥檚 rebirth as an economic engine and international design capital 鈥� it鈥檚 the first US city to be designated a UNESCO City of Design 鈥� is another defining story. The city is moving towards a more competitive economy while also focused on providing a better quality of life for residents. Detroit is now being recognized as a design-forward city with innovation and resilience at its core.  

爱豆传媒 has witnessed Detroit鈥檚 rising firsthand, having been part of the city鈥檚 transformation since 2010 when we worked with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation on Detroit Future City, a planning effort aimed at revitalizing the city and incentivizing sustainable growth. Since then, we鈥檝e worked on projects throughout the city focused on reviving Detroit鈥檚 historic assets by creating density in the city鈥檚 downtown corridor and by restoring historic buildings and infrastructure 鈥� Hudson鈥檚 Site, Book Tower, Detroit Eastern Market, and Michigan Central Station. 

Here are our takeaways from the trends and opportunities we鈥檙e seeing in Detroit and how they may apply to cities across the world: 

Emerging opportunities for urban transformation 

Future of Mobility 鈥� Nash Emrich & Michelle Christopher 

Detroit has the opportunity to re-prioritize their relationship with the car and explore the people-centered solutions that create a new chapter for the City鈥檚 economic resilience. This lab explored Detroit’s history with mobility and the emerging solutions in transit examining what and how to best serve the city. With Detroit experiencing lower vehicle ownership, which mobility strategies are best serving the city now and in the future? 

Key Takeaways for Detroit and Beyond: 

• Addressing Density & Connectivity is a Priority – At the core of any mobility solution is the reality that Detroit is currently a low-density city with large infrastructure disproportionate to the hot spots of activity. Innovative urban planning must be an integral part of mobility planning efforts. One creative idea outlined creating 15-minute, dense hub neighborhoods, connected by transit, leaving open space in-between that could be used for agriculture, biodiverse open space, recreation, and energy generation. 
• Motown to Mobility-Town – Detroit鈥檚 auto-centric history and culture is ripe for being reimagined into the city as leader in innovative mobility solutions. A blend of people-centric (pedestrians, bicycles, transit) and technology-forward (e-bikes, EVs, autonomous vehicles, and advanced air mobility) can be deployed to strategically match solutions to the appropriate situations.    
• Universal Basic Mobility Right – Human mobility solutions must drive social mobility by providing easy access and use to all populations. Accessible and affordable transportation will help lift all people. Active travel can encourage better physical and mental health. Solutions that pull people out of their cars will encourage more interactions, thereby building trust in the community and strengthening the social fabric.  

Energy Transition & Stranded Assets 鈥� Alex Nutkiewicz 

Across the United States, State and City governments are instituting aggressive decarbonization targets and related policies. However, because of shifting policy and resulting infrastructural changes, it is expected that the fossil fuel assets that have supported our energy systems for decades will soon become obsolete. As a part of this tour through Detroit, the Urban C:lab cohort explored the downstream implications of decarbonization policy and energy transition 鈥� focusing on the key opportunities and challenges cities like Detroit will face over the coming decades.

Specifically, the group visited Detroit Thermal 鈥� the city鈥檚 existing steam generation plant and tunnel network delivering thermal energy to more than 100 buildings in the downtown and midtown neighborhoods, Bedrock鈥檚 Urban Tech Xchange hub focused on understanding how to leverage emerging sensing and other data-driven technologies to foster a better planned and functioning urban built environment, and the local IBEW headquarters in Corktown 鈥� a net-zero facility home to the city鈥檚 local electrical workers union. 

Key Takeaways for Detroit and Beyond:

• Resistance from utilities to decarbonize – Not only is change hard but another perceived barrier is that a clean energy transition will be expensive for companies and their customers. Progress will require champions and private and public partnerships to showcase how energy transition can be effective in Detroit and all of the potential co benefits. Government programs and subsides will be critical to fund these energy improvements as to not pass on the cost to the consumer. What role can private investment play in pushing through more forward-thinking buildings and communities and what energy solutions can take away the existing burden on the old fossil fuel grid?  
• Global applicability 鈥� Equity, environmental justice (just transition and jobs). Energy can be too expensive for people during energy transition and an energy transition and climate change can affect poorer communities more drastically than others. How can we learn from this and work towards solutions that are equitable? Grassroots initiatives like building retrofits and deploying solar micro grids were a few of the many parts of the sustainability plan for Detroit. Thinking locally first and understanding what the people need and is an important trend we are seeing in solving bigger problems. 
• Internal process: how we define and solve problems 鈥� Knowing the problem before you solve it is key.  The Detroit Office of Sustainability and other more grass roots organizations taught us the power of understanding the problem and collecting benchmarking data to help understand trends and patterns before proposing solutions. 

Urban Transformation and Social Equity 鈥� Michael Darfler  

Urban revitalization can prioritize social equity over short term financial gains to ensure that all residents benefit from economic growth and development. This tour stopped in multiple neighborhoods in various stages of revitalization and provided the opportunity to explore and compare the unique challenges and solutions in different parts of Detroit. 

Key Takeaways for Detroit: 

• Community empowerment emerged as a cornerstone of successful urban transformation. The tour highlighted how involving local residents in decision-making processes and fostering grassroots initiatives led to more sustainable and embraced changes. In neighborhoods where community members were active participants in the planning and implementation of revitalization efforts, there was a noticeable increase in project success and community satisfaction. 
• The value of “learning by doing” was prominently displayed across Detroit’s urban landscape. The tour showcased how iterative, small-scale interventions can inform larger urban renewal strategies and adapt to evolving community needs. This approach allowed for adjustments based on community feedback and observed outcomes, minimizing the risks associated with large-scale, inflexible urban planning.  
• Cultural and historical awareness proved to be integral to creating equitable and inclusive urban spaces. The tour underscored the importance of preserving local heritage and acknowledging past injustices in the urban renewal process. In neighborhoods where historical context was thoughtfully integrated into revitalization efforts, there was a stronger sense of place and community cohesion. 

Revitalizing Public Realm Infrastructure 鈥� Bing Wang & Kirsten Melling 

Once a bustling city designed for over 2 million residents, Detroit now stands with a population of 620,000. While outsiders may perceive this decline as a setback, Detroit and its inhabitants have seized the opportunity to reimagine their public realm. Their journey serves as an instructive tale on the delicate balance between public and private land. 

Detroit is creating new corridors of open public realm to provide healthy outdoor recreation, connect residents, and support economic development across neighborhoods. Detroit鈥檚 incredible Riverfront, the Dequindre Cut, and the Joe Louis Greenway are just a few of the numerous public realm infrastructure projects that are reshaping Detroit鈥檚 public realm.  

Key Takeaways for Detroit and Beyond: 

• Urban Solutions for Detroit – The transformation of Detroit鈥檚 public realm is a result of a collaborative effort involving public, nonprofit, and private partnerships. Key initiatives like the Joe Louis Greenway and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy are prime examples of this successful collaboration where non-profit partners are implementing a vision for the public realm that serves and connects neighborhoods throughout the city.  
• Global Applicability – Detroit鈥檚 journey activating the public realm, particularly through the action of local non-profits and grassroots organizations, demonstrates the potential for city renovation on a global scale. It underscores the significant benefits that public realm improvements can bring to both local communities and broader city development. 
• Internal Process: how we define and solve problems – Defining a public realm that meets the needs of local communities requires a comprehensive understanding of existing conditions and strong engagement with the city residents. This approach ensures that the solutions are not only effective but also resonate with the people they are designed to serve. 

The Urban C:Lab Innovation Day in Detroit highlighted the city鈥檚 position as a hub for exploring and addressing global urban challenges. By focusing on themes such as mobility, energy transition, urban transformation, and public infrastructure, 爱豆传媒 and local experts were able to generate innovative solutions that not only benefit Detroit but also offer valuable insights for cities worldwide.

This collaborative effort underscores the importance of adaptive and responsive urban planning, ensuring that cities can evolve sustainably while enhancing the quality of life for their residents. Detroit鈥檚 journey from industrial decline to a beacon of design and resilience serves as an inspiring model for other cities facing similar challenges.