In my application to participate in the Leadership Service Seminar in Detroit, I wrote, “there’s no better time to be there as an urban policy student.”  Only after we arrived did I realize that we had found ourselves in the city's throes of change and, as many said during trip, there was no better place we would rather have been than Detroit.

I wanted to contextualize today’s Detroit within its history and the impact of state and federal policies; I wanted to learn about how different actors come together to engage communities and revitalize an incredible city.  Man, did we do all of that and much more. 

Under the tireless leadership of Michael and Art, we saw and heard dozens of perspectives on the past, present, and future of Detroit.  With nearly 700,000 people and a $1 billion general fund budget, Detroit is a large, complex system of people and organizations working independently and together to keep it humming.  Somewhere along the way, policy and planning decisions were made that started to take the city off track.  So the question we kept asking ourselves and our speakers was “is Detroit on track?”

What struck me first about Detroit was the obvious, what almost everyone first sees. The vastness. A city built for cars, giving everyone of all backgrounds and classes the chance to live the American Dream replete with a front and back yard, fresh air, a charming neighborhood: an iconic vision of the good life. And as the city lost more than half its population, that vastness has only grown, as the negative – empty lots, windowless buildings, streetlights flashing red and yellow, rendered unnecessary – threatens to overwhelm what’s left.

But then, as we began to meet with the people from that city that seemed stretched to its limits, a membrane pulled too thin, ready to fray, a very different picture emerged. Everyone seemed inexplicably close to one another. Everyone knew everyone and the city became instead a small-town that belied its real geography. At the start of every meeting – each conversation with leaders from the government, business, non-profit, and activist world – everyone asked what we were doing there, and then who we’d already spoken to. As we rattled off the names a look of satisfied recognition cast itself on everyone’s faces. It became all too clear that these people who cared so much for their troubled city were very much a team, each playing a different position. As we were told in one of our meetings, in one sense the people still around are those left behind as the city emptied out over the decades, in another they were the ones who continued to choose to make Detroit their home.

The HKS in Detroit Leadership Seminar, generously supported by the Center for Public Leadership and the Dean of Students, took 10 students and one staff member on a week-long journey across the city to meet with government officials, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizers. The group also rode the People Mover, checked out the Detroit Institute of Arts, enjoyed Middle Eastern food in Dearborn, witnessed a one-hitter Tigers’ game, and much more.

As an urbanist deeply interested in American cities, I had a fascinating experience. Detroit’s challenges are well-known, as are some of the other interesting developments occurring in the city. But the confluence of these challenges and trends makes Detroit unique. I’d like to highlight three realities in Detroit that will define the city for years to come.

Detroit has a lot to offer, from the beautiful riverside parkland in Bell Isle to the vibrant creativity of the Heidelberg Project and the electronic music festival just getting underway as we left.  We enjoyed delicious ribs and mac and cheese at Slowe’s BBQ, scrumptious batatas from The Batata Shop, a boisterous Tigers Game, and the open space that gives Detroit a more relaxed feel than such over-crowded cities as New York and Boston.  Most of all I was impressed by the people we met, people who combined that Midwestern friendliness with drive and determination, building non-profit organizations and starting businesses, convinced of a path to a better future.  

And yet Detroit is struggling.  The City Council President shared with us a heartbreaking story in which he lost his own brother after EMS failed to arrive promptly.  Someone else mentioned that even the mayor couldn’t get a cop to his house during a break-in.  We came across numerous traffic lights that were simply out, stories of way too many children’s funerals, and this is only the beginning.  

An emergency manager has been appointed by the Governor of Michigan to take over governance of the city, pulling the rug out from under the new council by district system and undermining democracy.  Detroit is in a fiscal crisis, with a deficit of several hundred million dollars, facing deep cuts to already overwhelmed city services, the potential sale of the city’s greatest assets, and possibly, perhaps likely, a bankruptcy that will break promises made to retirees in terms of pensions and healthcare.

We are wrapping up the Wednesday of our week already.  The rain graciously held off yesterday as we toured The Heidelberg Project but some fell overnight and this evening - somewhat breaking a bit of the humidity that has kept us sweating.

We have had some incredible conversations thus far.  A line from David Blair's poem "Detroit, While I Was Away" keeps echoing through my thoughts as I try and soak up the many perspectives:  "Detroit, look what we have made you.  Steam and steel, still.  That's how hard I love you."

Steam.
The determination, persistence and drive we have met in each meeting and interaction is astounding.  From the Henry Ford Health System to the UAW to Detroit Venture Partners to the Heidelberg Art Project to each and every small business owner grinding and community leader organizing - there is a commitment to the city and greater community that couldn't be manufactured or created, regardless of the tax base.

The Dean of Wayne State Law is opening legal aid and entrepreneur clinics - refocusing the school on the use of Law in public service.  The Bell building has beautiful apartments with onsite mental health services - providing permanent, supportive housing to homeless while anchoring surrounding neighborhood development.  Yusef Shakur runs a his own cafe and book store while running for City Council and organizing his neighborhood to provide resources to neighbors.

This isn't a new coat of paint to cover underlying problems - this is full scale engagement of the most pressing challenges.

Steel.
We continue to hear about the structural barriers throughout the city.  From difficult city permitting processes to the vast city footprint to the lack of adequate city services - the physical, political and economic landscape is often daunting.

At the same time, those who we meet making change in every corner of the city are perhaps the most hard-headed, unflinching and steady individuals I have ever met.  One community leader from SouthWest explained over dinner that for years they have had to for wait unbearable periods for police to respond to a crime, for EMS to respond to a victim and for their kids to get a fair crack at education.  The support system that exists of organizations and individuals is deep and durable, forged in the fire of necessity and built to withstand whatever political winds may blow.

Still.
This is defintely an exciting time for Detroit.  Captial and opportunity are flowing into Downtown. The New York Times and national media are finally saying some positive things.  In the greater view of the city - nothing is really that new.  Some of the most impressive people and organizations are those who have been working in the City for years, building relationships and movements.  The idea the Detroit would be a 'blank slate" where doing anything is better than nothing is just plain dumb.  There is a deep history and an ongoing guard of committed, ass-kicking leaders who I would love to be like when I grow up.

This trip has been incredible so far - so many questions, great insights and more questions.

"Detroit, Look what we have made you.  Steam and Steel, Still.  That's how hard I love you."
-David Blair

I am really looking forward to the next few days - more dynamic meetings, incredible food and a Tigers game in store!

Keep up with us on Twitter with #HKSinDetroit

Much love,
Michael

We had another incredible day in Detroit, meeting with individuals and organizations that have thought hard about their visions of the city and their roles within it.

Something Claire Nelson, the publisher of Model D (a web-based magazine focused on development in Detroit), said has stuck with me: "Detroit doesn't wear everything on its sleeves." The more we talk with local entrepreneurs, public servants, community organizers, and individuals who simply build their livelihoods in the city, the more I see the complex challenges, resilience, and hope all around us.

Take Tawnya Clark, owner of The Batata Shop, for example. When she was 12, her mother taught her how to make sweet potato-based waffles. When taking care of her 99-year-old grandmother, she revived the recipe to cater to her grandmother's dietary needs. She soon realized that this could become her own business--something she could establish and build in the community. Rather than continuing to work for corporate giants such as Verizon Wireless, she took a risk, borrowed money from her family, and set out to create delicious whole wheat, sweet potato waffles for folks all over the city. Two years later, she's developed a tasty line-up of flavors, been profiled on Model D, and gained a fan base on Facebook and other social media outlets. She'll even start selling in Eastern Market next week!

To me, Tawnya represents one of the most important, yet often overlooked, pillars of Detroit's revitalization. Though she's been passed up by the media just for not being white, she was able to leverage her own connections in the community to market her business. Though she carries the weight of the city's racial tensions, she still talks in the tune of unity. She and some 700,000 other Detroit locals are the people who will bring the city into a new era of accountability, stability, and eventual health. Their future depends on Detroit, and Detroit's on them.

She is one of the many people we had the privilege of meeting with today, not least of whom are Jocelyn Benson, Dean of Wayne State University Law School, and Joe Heaphy, VP of Neighborhood Service Organization. Both of them taught me a great deal about the city and have already come up with solutions that do not simplify or ignore the complexities of the challenges. I can't do justice to them or everyone else here.

Can't wait for what's to come tomorrow!

Linda

Wow...what a terrific (and full) first day we had in Detroit!

We started off by meeting Bob King, the President of the United Auto Workers at the Solidarity House. We then made our way over to the Henry Ford Health System to meet with Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, a VP for Health Equity and Community Health. Later we went to the Focus: Hope system for a tour of their facilities as well as a meeting with Shelly Danner from Challenge Detroit. We also met with Jake Cohen of Detroit Venture Partners, which invests in and mentors local technology companies. Finally we enjoyed a happy hour with local organizers, activists, friends, and community leaders at the trendy Cass Cafe.

It was pretty awesome and exhausting day but we're excited for much more. We'll be using this blog and the twitter feed (#hksindetroit) to post updates and ideas! Please do follow along and be in touch with any questions or comments. Also: a plug for our sister trip, HKS Leadership Service Seminar in Southwest Virginia blogging here! Very funny and insightful. On that note: one thing I learned is that diners in Detroit are called "Coney Islands!" Delicious hot dogs and assorted dishes. 

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!

Dave