The DDP joined the other DDP for a convening in our D last week. Can you guess the outcome?
Sounds like a riddle, right? It’s better than that.
The Downtown Detroit Partnership welcomed members of the Downtown Denver Partnership and representatives from Denver’s public- and private-sector organizations for a three-day Urban Exchange—a sharing of ideas, programs, initiatives, challenges, and creative thinking.
I’ve often espoused the value of these efforts and am honored when other cities ask to visit Downtown Detroit. It happens more and more as cities look to us for best practices. Earlier this month, we spent time with a group from Salt Lake City, and a delegation from Tulsa visited us earlier in the year. Other cities often invite DDP team leaders to speak on a wide range of topics, from the Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone, small business strategies, and urban innovation, to our award-winning Parks programs.
The benefits are numerous for both us as the host city and our guests. Regardless of the words we use, the missions are essentially the same: to make our respective urban areas a great place to live, work, and play.
In classic DDP fashion, the team turned out in force for our Denverites. Soula Burns moderated a panel on the NFL Draft, Laura Dean led a session titled “18 Parks, One Vision,” and several team members hosted small group dinners with our guests.
For my part, I joined Downtown Denver Partnership President and CEO Kourtny Garrett for a Fireside Chat. At first glance, it may seem understandable to think Denver is in a better place than Detroit, but assumptions can be dangerous. Each city has its challenges. Some are variations on the same theme, such as housing and homeless needs, reimagining our Downtowns, adaptive reuse of empty or near-empty buildings, and the ever-elusive need for funding; others are more geographically and demographically focused. But trials, tribulations, and transformation make for great characters, and the Detroit story is a good one. The work we do is critical to Detroit’s future, and the future downtown, be it Detroit or Denver, is a great place to live. That comes first, and everything else will follow.
We discussed how great public spaces, enhanced lighting, and keeping streets and sidewalks clear of debris aren’t just nice things to have but essential elements for a thriving community. They’re prerequisites to growth. Well-managed, well-maintained public spaces drive private investment. Livability is no longer a luxury but an economic and social imperative—talent attraction, investment, and innovation follow the quality of place. A solid infrastructure and efficient mobility system are paramount. It was an excellent opportunity to build off each other’s challenges and successes.
Cities are constantly evolving, priorities shift, new ideas emerge, and new technologies affect how we execute our programs. Hearing firsthand what others are doing is so important.
Still, I can’t help but think it’s more important now than ever.
The DDP is working on implementing an urban exchange program of its own, and I’ll share more details on that in the future. In the meantime, we welcome all to Downtown Detroit to hear our story and ask us questions.
As I’ve said, none of us have all of the answers, but all of us have some of the answers.
