The crowd gathers for the main event, following the opening cocktail hour.

On Monday, February 10th, the DSO’s Max M. Fisher Music Center was the location for the kickoff of the Assemble: IDEA Speaker Series, with a presentation by keynote speaker Vishaan Chakrabarti, followed by a panel discussion. Chakrabarti is a highly renowned urbanist, Principal at SHoP Architects and author of “A Country of Cities.” His presentation centered largely around findings from his book, arguing that a functional city requires a certain level of density to provide necessary services to its population, and quoting the influential urbanist Jane Jacobs, who characterized Detroit as “miles and miles of low-density failure.”

Chakrabarti’s presentation covered a multitude of aspects surrounding urban development, played out across multiple landscapes, and showcasing a variety of outcomes for Detroit as a city.

Some of these ideas are antithetical to Detroit’s long history of interdependence with the automotive industry, and Chakrabarti acknowledged that conflict during his presentation. But as one event organizer stated in his introduction, “We’re not here to build cars. We’re here to build our future.” Organizer Chad Rochkind, from Urban Social Assembly, could not have been more effusive in his respect for Chakrabarti’s expertise on urban development, and his hope that Detroit can build a deeply conscientious new future for itself.

The panel discussion, from left to right: Craig Fahle, Dan Kinkead (obscured), Maggie Desantis, Reed Kroloff, and Vishaan Chakrabarti.

What this future holds for longtime Detroiters is of course a matter of debate an controversy, some of which came to light in the panel discussion following the keynote presentation. The panel was moderated by popular local radio personality Craig Fahle, who consistently uses The Craig Fahle Show (which airs Mon.-Fri. at 9 a.m. on WDET) as a vehicle to tackle difficult issues facing Detroit’s revitalization. Speakers included major stakeholders in Detroit’s renewal: Dan Kinkead, the Director of Projects for Detroit Future City Implementation Office; Maggie Desantis, leader of the Warren/Conner Development Coalition (WCDC) and grassroots community developer, most recently concerned with the “Lower Eastside Action Plan” (LEAP); as well as Reed Kroloff, Director of the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Museum in Bloomfield Hills.

Overall, the evening was one of excitement and promise in Detroit’s future possibilities. An auspicious beginning for the Assemble: IDEA project, in bringing some of the nation’s thought leadership on urban development to bear on this city, the focus of so much national interest.

You can follow Assemble on Facebook, for upcoming speaker events and other developments: Assemble. DSO/Max M. Fisher Music Center: 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-576-5111; www.dso.org