As the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) strives to create a truly sustained and vibrant Downtown, we understand that all cities constantly evolve, including Detroit. And as evolution occurs it must be met with a level of intentionality that is beneficial for all stakeholders. So, when the idea to connect Downtown to neighborhood communities through freeway caps came up, the DDP recognized the initiative’s alignment with its aims to enhance our economic and social connections.
There are several reasons a city would consider a freeway cap. It creates additional public space in an urban area, it supports new development and strengthens existing businesses, enhances pedestrian accessibility, and reconnects street grids near highways, which provides increased access to neighborhoods harmed by past highway construction.
When the Fisher Freeway (I-75) was constructed, it fractured vital connections between Downtown Detroit and surrounding neighborhoods like Brush Park and the Cass Corridor.
In Detroit, conversations between community members have been in the works for years on how to best to reconnect neighborhoods separated by the highway, culminating in the idea generated by the District Detroit Neighborhood Advisory Council to construct a cap over I-75. In 2024, three I-75 cap community visioning sessions took place to gather public input. These sessions built upon the robust community engagement efforts as part of District Detroit’s Community Benefits Ordinance process, which included over 100 community engagement meetings.
As part of the team engaged in the project’s community benefits planning, the DDP realized the potential to take the cap idea beyond just the District Detroit in a way that could benefit a larger population – residents, visitors, businesses, and future developments.
Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Transportation was supporting an initiative to reconnect communities that were cut off from social and economic opportunities due to the 1950/60’s Highways Act. With the support of the Kresge Foundation, DDP co-led a planning initiative with Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the City of Detroit to develop a community-led vision for how to reconnect the Downtown.
Since projects of this kind have long-term, multi-faceted impacts, we worked in collaboration with our partners to engage Detroiters and developed a community-led vision for the I-75 Cap.
Doing this right is critical to the ultimate success of any large public infrastructure project. DDP’s Urban Innovation team engaged community members and those most impacted to build trust, establish goals, and measure effectiveness.
This was done last year through visioning sessions in three phases, which included supplemental outreach via digital surveys:
- Phase I: Assess the community’s goals and needs
- Phase II: Evaluate Cap Options
- Phase III: Develop A Preferred Option
The outcomes of the community engagement directly informed the development of the cap concept that is now being advanced.
Fast forward, with a $2-million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Program, DDP is advancing the I-75 Cap Feasibility Study. Through a competitive process with our public partners, we selected AECOM, a leading global transportation and infrastructure engineering firm, to facilitate the feasibility study.
The study will focus on:
- Community Engagement: Develop inclusive outreach strategies and host regular public meetings to ensure the advanced design reflects community priorities.
- Public Space Design: Create schematic plans and placemaking concepts for three proposed park caps and adjacent right-of-way enhancements.
- Transportation Engineering: Evaluate traffic, pedestrian, and transit impacts, and prepare early-stage engineering and environmental documentation.
As a convener and balanced voice, steward of place, and promoter of inclusion, the DDP will continue to work with MDOT, the City of Detroit, and local stakeholders to engage the community, establish goals, and communicate updates.
The Downtown Detroit Partnership takes pride in connecting people, places, and public spaces accomplished through strategic collaboration with public, private, and philanthropic partners while ensuring the community’s voice and input are included.
Stay tuned!
