Detroit is facing enormous challenges with an abundance of vacant and abandoned buildings in the city. Demolition is a necessary part of moving the city forward, but Detroit can't just demo its way to revitalization. Here, individuals on the ground in Detroit show that through strategic preservation and rehabilitation of commercial and residential structures, you can change the dynamic one building at a time and demonstrate that just because it's vacant, doesn't mean it's blighted. Video by Michigan Historic Preservation Network.

Last month the New Economy Initiative launched NEIdeas, a challenge that will award $500,000 in prizes to existing businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.