SOCIAL INNOVATION
Detroit
How can we understand the market opportunities in a post-industrial city reinventing itself? Detroit has been through a lot. Through it’s trauma, it has gained a certain wisdom that one could argue sets it ahead of the curve. There is a sensibility about doing business in Detroit that takes into account the whole system, the impact on people, and relationship to the city and its infrastructure.
For the social innovation in Detroit immersion, we looked at revitalization through both grassroots initiatives and global brands like Shinola attempting to modernize the city’s manufacturing legacy. We explored reinvestment in schools–including a nationally ranking charter school serving a 60% homeless student body, met pioneers of Detroit’s equitable food movement, met the founders of Recycle Here! in a shipping container-turned-classroom, and learned new tactic for public sector design from our partners Civilla.
CREDITS
BRIDGET RUSSO
Shinola
MIKE BRENNAN & ADAM SELZER
Civilla
GARY WOZNIAK
RecoveryPark
AMY KAHERL
Detroit Soup
OLGA STELLA
Design Core Detroit
COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES
KYLE SMITLEY
Detroit Achievement Academy
THE HEIDELBERG PROJECT
DEVITA DAVISON
Foodlab Detroit
KATE DAUGHDRILL
Burnside Farm
MARC GREUTHER
The Henry Ford Museum
ERIKA GEORGE
Empowerment Plan
PONYRIDE
CONOR GALLAGHER
Film & Photography