Welcome to the Design Regional Detroit website!

Design Regional Detroit is an ambitious and innovative regional planning process for the 10-county Detroit Region. When fully implemented, the process will lead to improved economic prosperity in the region—Genesee, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties—by identifying priorities and developing action plans to address these priorities. (Please click on “DRD Q & A” for more information.)

The Detroit Regional Chamber is organizing and convening the regional planning process, which will combine research on the region, benchmarking the region against four strategically selected regions outside of Michigan, a public opinion poll, and an extensive community leadership engagement effort.

This website will be updated regularly with posting of materials and opportunities to participate in the regional planning process.

The “DRD Chart Book” has just been added to the website. In an easy-to-navigate format, the chart book offers a picture of the region through graphs and tables on population, income, employment, investment, education, and quality of life indicators. It also compares the Detroit Region to Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, Michigan, and the United States. The chart book captures the region’s assets and challenges, providing a foundation for priorities and strategies to come.

The “DRD Public Opinion Poll” has also been added to the website. This poll asked 400 adult residents of the 10 counties their thoughts on the region’s assets, future, and need for regional collaboration. An overwhelming majority of respondents believe that stronger regional collaboration is necessary to enhance all residents’ quality of life.

A meaningful regional plan champions economic prosperity and quality of life, and successful regional plans must involve a wide range of stakeholders in the private and public sectors from all communities, geographical areas, and racial and ethnic groups. This planning process must engage leaders from across the region if it is to succeed.

Detroit business and community organizations are working together to ensure a coordinated approach to the creation of regional development strategies. The Detroit Regional Chamber initiative is an extensive effort to identify broad regional issues and priorities resulting in a blueprint for the future. Detroit Renaissance will focus its efforts on developing a regional economic transformation strategy. United Way will concentrate on developing a regional human and social development strategy. Further, SEMCOG is leading efforts to identify the region’s transportation and infrastructure needs.

Community conversations (forums of 8–15 people with an interest in regional prosperity) are under way throughout the Detroit Region to hear the perspectives of community leaders on regional priorities, strategies to achieve regional priorities, and the best ways for stakeholders to work together. If you would like to learn more, please click on the “Community Conversations” icon in the left-hand margin.

The Phase I report—bringing together research, responses to the online survey, and findings from the community conversations in a set of regional priorities—will be released in September. Work groups will then be formed to develop strategies and action plans for the region’s priorities. For an overview of the first phase of Design Regional Detroit, please click on the “Phase I Work” icon in the left-hand margin.