Detroit FUTURE CITY
Ten years ago, Detroit Future City emerged from a bold belief: that with the right vision, data-driven strategies, and community engagement, Detroit could build a more equitable and sustainable future for all its residents.
Born from the insights of over 100,000 Detroiters who contributed to the Detroit Strategic Framework, we launched in 2015 with a clear mission—to translate community wisdom into action. What began as an implementation organization has evolved into an influential think tank, policy advocate, and innovation engine that fundamentally shapes how the city approaches its most pressing challenges.
For a decade, we’ve turned vision into reality: conducting critical research on middle-class growth and Latino workforce outcomes, addressing inherited property challenges that threaten generational wealth, and championing sustainable land use and economic equity at every turn.
This year, we're celebrating a decade of championing Detroit's growth and transformation! We will be highlighting the 10 moments that have defined our work and legacy.
A decade of transformative milestone that have shaped Detroit's path toward equity and sustainability
October 2015
Detroiters gained a powerful toolkit when DFC introduced the Field Guide to Working with Lots. The guide and grant program activated vacant land, turning overlooked spaces into gardens, gathering places, and vibrant hubs of community creativity and neighborhood care.
This initiative was impactful because it reframed Detroit's greatest challenge—vacant land—into its greatest opportunity for community-driven renewal.
August 2017
Released in 2017, the 139 Square Miles report highlighted key data trends in Detroit after bankruptcy as the city was beginning to show signs of recovery. It became a defining resource that used hard numbers to show how people, population, economy, and place were shaping neighborhood futures across the city.
This report was impactful because it provided a comprehensive data foundation to inform a wide range of stakeholders, from residents to policymakers.
November 2018
To stabilize Detroit's single-family housing market, DFC launched the Detroit Neighborhood Housing Compact. The effort united housing advocates, city leaders, and nonprofit partners to expand homeownership access, preserve affordability, and align investment with long-term community priorities.
The Compact created the collaborative framework needed for housing advocates to establish actionable pathways towards economic and neighborhood equity while building pathways to homeownership for longtime residents.
February 2019
This report centered a critical goal for Detroit's future: growing the Black middle class. It outlined clear strategies to grow, attract, and retain Black middle-class households through equitable economic growth, homeownership, and comprehensive community development.
This report was the first to center the Black middle class as essential to Detroit's economic success, shifting conversations on economic development and growth.
January 2020
In 2020, DFC created the Center for Equity, Engagement, and Research to advance systemic change. The following year, the State of Economic Equity report and data dashboard provided a groundbreaking way to track whether progress in Detroit was reaching those most impacted by historic disinvestment.
The Center institutionalized accountability, ensuring that Detroit's recovery could be measured not just by overall growth, but by how that growth reached the communities that needed it most.
September 2022
Detroit's future took center stage in 2022 when DFC introduced a vision to expand the city's middle class and grow the number of thriving and resilient neighborhoods. Built through deep research and public engagement, the agenda aligned policy, advocacy, and funding to drive inclusive, measurable economic growth.
This initiative aligned policy, advocacy, and funding to drive inclusive, measurable economic growth, ensuring Detroit’s future centered thriving and resilient neighborhoods.
October 2022
Working in partnership with Arboretum Detroit, DFC transformed 12 vacant lots into Circle Forest, a community green space. This project brought new life to Detroit's Eastside, blending landscape restoration, reforestation, and programming to invite neighbors into the space. Arboretum Detroit owns and stewards this space.
This project was impactful because it demonstrated how environmental restoration could provide both climate action and community healing, creating a replicable model for green investment across the city.
February 2023
In partnership with Brookings Metro, DFC released the Growth Occupations report which spotlighted Detroit's fastest-growing occupations that offer pathways into the middle-class and the barriers blocking access for Detroiters. The report urged citywide efforts to expand training, improve job quality, and create clearer pathways into sustainable employment for Detroiters.
This report provided the evidence base for education and workforce systems to align education and training programs with actual job growth.
July 2023
At the TED Countdown Summit, CEO Anika Goss highlighted Detroit's role as a national leader in climate resilience. Her talk amplified how local innovation, community voice, and environmental justice are guiding Detroit's vision for a livable and sustainable future.
This moment positioned Detroit as a model for other cities, transforming the narrative from post-industrial decline to climate leadership and community-centered innovation.
February 2024
To address the issue of families losing homes passed down through generations, DFC, in partnership with Data Driven Detroit, released a 2024 report with policy recommendations to protect generational homeownership. The research offers legal and educational tools to help Detroit families secure their titles and safeguard their family homes.
This report elevated a critical but often invisible threat to Black wealth and stability, sparking new collaborations and funding to directly help families resolve heirs’ property issues and preserve homeownership across generations.
Thank you to all our amazing partners! With your support, we’ve been able to drive impactful change for Detroiters everywhere.
Follow our page to learn more about the milestones that shaped us and what’s next for DFC!