Building a blueprint for the city’s future requires the integration of local expertise, with leading thinkers and practitioners from around the globe and the commitment of civic leadership. urbanAC’s Toni L. Griffin was the project director for The Detroit Work Project (DWP) launched in 2010, and inclusive of a Short Term Actions and Long Term Planning initiative. The Detroit Works Project, Long Term Planning initiative (DWPLTP) was a 24-month planning and civic engagement process resulting in the Detroit Works Project Strategic Framework Plan, a comprehensive and action-oriented blueprint for near and long range decision-making.

The Strategic Framework Plan

Aspirational towards a physical vision for the city

Actionable with strategies for new policies and implementation

Accountable with assignment of implementation responsibilities. In order to effectively accomplish this scope, four objectives were put in place to create a shared vision and plan of action:

A Process Rooted in Building Trust and Authentic Engagement

In order to rebuild the trust and enthusiasm needed to successful embark upon another planning process for the city’s future, the DWPLTP effort adopted the following Core Values that required the planning and civic engagement process to be.

Aspirational where it should be andpractical where it must be

Respectful of the city’s history, community efforts and new ideas

Just and Equitable in seeking to create benefits for all

Transparent and Inclusive of all voices participating to improve our community

A Data-Driven Knowledge of the City’s Current Assets and Challenges:

The Detroit Works Project believes that a data-driven knowledge of the city’s current conditions and trends will make for smarter and more sustainable decisions and actions both in the long and short term.

A Framework for Addressing Short Term Needs and Long Term Sustainability

No single sector – government, business nonprofit, grassroots or philanthropy – can achieve the vision for Detroit’s future alone. Therefore, the Detroit Works Project was organized around two distinct tracks - Short Term Actions and Long Term Planning.

A Blended Approach to Technical and Community Expertise

Planning processes are often criticized for being either exclusively “top-down” or “grassroots”, with neither approach fully integrating the other. DWPLP believes that valuable expertise resides at all levels of the local community, from the longstanding resident in the neighborhood to the economics professor at the local university to the new small business owner. The collaboration reached agreement that achieving Detroit’s highest potential requires a focused approach around six key goals:

Increasing Job and Economic Growth in the City

Creating a city that is operationally efficient and Resident and business affordable

Defining new models for livable (Healthy and Safe) Neighborhoods

Fostering innovation in the productive use of land and infrastructure

Promoting a city welcoming to all, where diversity matters

Creating one shared vision of the city and its role in the region, state, nation, and world