Arts & Culture : 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. 

Urban innovator Ingrid LaFleur recounts the first Afrofuturism class she taught for youth at the Carr Center in which she tied together mythology, poststructuralist theory, and contemporary politcs into a youth-friendly superhero package. 

Model D's Claire Nelson and Hopscotch Detroit social innovator Ajooni Sethi go north to share the power of play as a tool for civic engagement with our Canadian comrades at Yonge St. Sounds like some serious fun was had in the Queen City.

Detroit is seeing a new wave of creative startups, and fashion is one industry on the rise. Recently, more capital has been made available to technology companies, aiming to turn Detroit into a “Silicon Valley of the Midwest." If, as they say, 90% of fashion is marketing, and social media use is at a high, shouldn’t apparel businesses be considered an investment opportunity in Detroit’s creative economy? What ways can we extend these tech startup incentives to multiple industries?

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?