Knight Foundation Wants to Lay the Groundwork for Lasting Change
Hint: Building Community and Sharing Knowledge are Key
By Eric B. Larson
Whoever said, “May you live in interesting times,” was clearly preparing us for 2025. ‘
Whatever your personal, political, or professional station, we are all navigating rapid change that at the moment shows no signs of letting up. Within the DDP, our team and leadership are responding efficiently yet thoughtfully to the impacts and opportunities as we continue our work advancing park and public space plans, addressing media inquiries, guiding infrastructure projects, executing on our clean/safe missions, and planning world-class events that will bring immeasurable benefits to businesses, residents, and visitors. As always, technology is changing how we work, live, and drive, not to mention chat, write, and design. The policy landscape and economic conditions are evolving and so is DDP. In eight months, we’ll have a new administration in City Hall, and the months leading up to it will most likely be filled with excitement and uncertainty.
At Knight Foundation’s 18th Annual Knight Media Forum this past week in Miami it was noted that, trust in institutions is eroding across the nation, economic divides are widening, and the pace of technological and social change is testing our shared values.
What’s an organization to do?
At the invitation of Knight Detroit Director and DDP Board and Executive Committee Member LaTrice McClendon, I was honored and delighted to attend this year’s Knight Media Forum. This convening, generally reserved for members of the media, was expanded this year to include civic leaders, philanthropic funders, journalists, scholars, industry experts, and government officials. More than 1,100 attendees engaged in provocative discussions, in an effort to spark new ideas, inspire decisive action, and lay the groundwork for lasting change.
There were many critical takeaways, but in the interest of space, I’ll highlight two:
Build community.
Share knowledge.
In his keynote address, former Surgeon General Vivek Murphy emphasized the importance of community and his trifecta of building strong communities: relationships, purpose, and service.
“When purpose is grounded in contributing to the lives of others, that sustains a community,” he said. “We now know that communities with a stronger social connection have higher levels of economic prosperity and lower levels of crime. The stronger our community, the more benefits it will see.”
We’ve witnessed this in Detroit repeatedly, and it should rise up in all our conversations. Strong relationships build strong cities. A shared purpose impacts results. A strong sense of service ensures we’re serving the greater good and not working at odds or in silos.
Cultivating a generation of community builders would benefit our region. I believe we’re well on our way but can do more.
The panel, “The Future of America: Innovation, Security and Opportunity in the AI Era,” included San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who discussed how he is incorporating AI and improving governance along the way.
The mayor explained how AI has reduced the number of red lights buses encounter, creating a faster, more efficient service. It’s helping route emergency calls to the best responder. As one of the most diverse cities in the country, AI is translating public meetings, allowing for more engagement from its citizenry. It also helps optimize employee skill sets within city hall.
Not sure how to get started leveraging AI? Choose tasks that you like the least and take the most time. It’s the mundane and volumes transactions that AI currently is best as supporting.
If there was one overriding takeaway for community leaders from KMF this year it was when we share knowledge, we all benefit, and we will all succeed together. It’s just one more way we build community.
Foundations like Knight can provide unique leadership, targeted support, and thoughtful insight during times of prosperity and challenge. This is through financial and thought leadership to organizations like DDP and cities such as Detroit – one of the eight Knight cities.
To that end, I’m thrilled to share that the trustees of the Knight Foundation have granted $800,000 to the Detroit Downtown Partnership to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and design in Downtown Detroit’s parks and public spaces, including Campus Martius Park, Grand Circus Park, Capitol Park, and other key spaces.
Consistent with what we learned from the forum, these funds will help develop and engage a wider and more diverse community. The DDP plans to enhance infrastructure, expand services for greater accessibility, and introduce innovative design elements to increase pedestrian traffic and engagement throughout Downtown Detroit’s parks.
I’m excited to share more about these park improvements and so much more at next week’s Spring Forum: A Partnership Update. Convening our stakeholders at this annual meeting is just one way the DDP is striving to build community and share knowledge. I hope to see you there.
