This weekend Model D is co-sponsoring an IdeaLab event called ReImagining Equitable Development that will mark the conclusion of our Equitable Development series. It's certain to be a timely gathering, especially with all the dialogue happening around community benefits in Detroit right now.
Earlier this month, Henry Ford Health System signed a privately negotiated letter of understanding with the West Grand Boulevard Collaborative laying out a series of community benefits linked to the construction of the new $155 million Brigitte Harrison Cancer Pavilion being built in Detroit near I-94 and the boulevard. The provisions outlined in the document include place-based workforce development, truck routes that follow West Grand Boulevard's 'No Trucks' ban during construction, and mitigations and remedies to deal with negative impacts to people and the environment. Beyond that, Fiat Chrysler's plans to build a new factory on Detroit's west side are also likely fall under the scope of Detroit's community benefits ordinance.
It's no secret that new investment has been pouring into the Motor City in recent years. Model D launched our Equitable Development series last year to encourage productive dialogue about this new wave of development and its relationship with local residents and stakeholders.
We kicked off the series this past August with an article looking at why equitable development is needed in Detroit and exploring the benefits of engaging with community to ensure that revitalization efforts are worthwhile for residents and other stakeholders. Model D followed that up with stories on topics like how community benefits efforts have been conducted here and in other communities, strategies for improving community engagement, and efforts to establish a more just local development ecosystem.
In tandem with these stories, we've also partnered with Doing Development Differently in Metro Detroit to hold a series of panel events exploring issues like developer margins, jobs in Detroit, community land trusts and community control, and gentrification in Detroit. A summary of takeaways from those events can be found here.
Our final IdeaLab event in this series, Reimagining Equitable Development, will be taking place Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marygrove College's Madame Cadillac Hall. Participants can expect an a day of workshops, presentations, and interactive activities geared towards teaching effective strategies for negotiating community benefits.
The day's keynote speech will be given by John Goldstein, founder of Coalitions, Campaigns and Community Benefits (COCACOM), a national network of 1,000 activists from local community benefit coalitions. John has a lifetime of experience bringing together diverse constituencies in powerful coalitions that enhance the outcomes of development projects.
Other featured panelists include: Lauren Hood, founding director, Live6 Alliance; Sheila Cockrel, CEO, Citizen Detroit; Tosha Tabron, SVP, Lending, Invest Detroit; and Byron Osbern, business representative, IBEW Local 58.
You can register for the event here. Community organization with 4 or more people who register earn a chance to win a special gift!
If you have questions, you can e-mail Chrishelle Griffin at [email protected] or contact her over the phone at (313) 986-1726.
This article is part of our Equitable Development series, in partnership with Doing Development Differently in Metro Detroit, where we explore issues and stories on growing Detroit in a way that allows people from all races, classes, and abilities to participate and benefit. Read more articles in the series here.
Support for this series is provided by the Knight Foundation, Knight Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Photo by Steve Koss.
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