Photo credit: Knight Foundation on Flickr.

Last week, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan laid out his plans for moving the city forward.  He believes Detroit has a bright future and so do I.

Less than six months ago, I joined Knight Foundation as the Detroit program director after nearly 10 years here serving other nonprofit, public and philanthropic sector organizations. Detroit is one of the original cities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers, so the opportunity to serve a national foundation with deep local roots, an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to innovation was a great calling at this point in my career.

John S. and James L. Knight believed that informed and engaged communities are essential in a robust democracy. That vision guides our work in Detroit and in 25 other cities where our investments are helping build better futures. As a resident of and passionate advocate for Detroit, I saw the opportunity to leverage these national resources for our local needs.

Across the country, we invest in places that accelerate talent and advance opportunity. In Detroit, we focus on innovative places, talent and civic infrastructure that accelerate the city’s revitalization. We are investing in the people who are reinventing Detroit, both newcomers and those who have invested in our community for generations. 

Some of our initial investments will emphasize the TechTown and Eastern Market districts, but we are also seeking prototype investments in other areas of Detroit that are primed to accelerate talent and opportunity. We see the magic of possibility based on what’s already happening.

My office is in TechTown, so I experience it every day. We’ve invested in the TechTown Living Room,  which will break ground this spring. The district, already home to TechTown, NextEnergy and a University Prep elementary school, will soon see the addition of a fab lab, the opening of the multimillion dollar Wayne State Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, and the artistic transformation of the viaducts connecting the TechTown district to New Center. What more can it become with its powerful anchor institution neighbors: Henry Ford Health System, Wayne State University, and College for Creative Studies?

The Eastern Market district is one of the best places in Detroit to experience the diversity of our region. It has attracted vendors and shoppers from across metro Detroit for generations. 2014 will see the completed renovation of Shed 5, including a shared-use community kitchen; the opening of the new public gathering place, the DTE Energy Plaza outside Shed 5; phase two of the Dequindre Cut Greenway to connect the Riverfront to Eastern Market; major streetscape improvements for the district; and progress toward a regional food accelerator that will bring jobs and opportunity to a formerly blighted site. All this while residents and visitors continue to flock to the district for shopping, dining, fun and more.

We also invest in the people who live and work in these places and help create them. We invest in residents, including immigrants and entrepreneurs, as drivers of economic growth, job creation and neighborhood revitalization. We showcase this talent by investing in partners such as Urban Innovation Exchange Detroit, an online platform for sharing the stories of people reinventing Detroit, but our investments primarily accelerate the work of intermediaries such as the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan, which Knight has supported since 2007. Early grants laid the foundation for regional innovation, but today NEI has sharpened its focus by building a network of support for entrepreneurs. NEI is helping thousands of ideas become the next economic engine for Detroit. Granting. Convening. Changing a culture. All while helping entrepreneurs and small businesses get what they need, when they need it. NEI recently announced a $33.25 million recapitalization of the program over the next several years to continue its work.

We’re also helping the city move forward in other ways. As Detroit navigates bankruptcy and a new civic infrastructure, our investments will support new developments in governance and civic capacity in partnership with the public and private sectors. Our recent investments have included resources for improving the innovative technology infrastructure in city government in partnership with the White House and offering capacity training stipends to nonprofit and public sector employees working each day to advance Detroit’s future.  As these investments bear fruit, we look forward to learning from them and fostering continued partnerships to help transform Detroit’s civic infrastructure as it builds a better future.

Finally, we see the arts, and their rich history in Detroit, as an essential part of that future. On March 10, we are launching the second round of the Knight Arts Challenge. It helps build on the creative momentum of the city, while building new community connections and helping make Detroit even more vibrant. People will have until April 7 to submit 150 words describing their best idea for art that is in or benefits Detroit.

At Knight Foundation, we want our national network of learning to inspire residents in each of our communities and help us build a better democracy and a successful future. Here in Detroit, I want to make sure our local network of activists and leaders inspires the nation to see a different future for Detroit.

Katy Locker, Knight program director in Detroit