Project Summary

As Metro Detroit emerges from bankruptcy and the Great Recession, decision-makers throughout the region face the daunting challenge of reinvigorating local economic development and community improvement in an equitable and sustainable manner. Where will targeted investments have the greatest impact, and how will they shape the future of Metro Detroit? How do residents of the communities most affected by such investments and public policies perceive their impacts? How should they prioritize the next generation of investments?

To help community stakeholders answer these questions, we are proposing a new tool, the Detroit Metropolitan Area Communities Study (DMACS), to provide an information and innovation platform for supporting evidence-based decisions about community investments and public policy. DMACS creates the capacity to rapidly deliver research-quality information to stakeholders about the impact of ongoing changes and investments, allowing them to dynamically track how residents perceive, evaluate and connect with their communities. It provides citizens a platform for communicating their needs, their vision of the future for their local areas and the broader region, and their reactions to new ideas for improving Metro Detroit's quality of life. This is accomplished through an innovative online survey and web platform that provides timely, accessible data and analysis, and integrates with other information about people and places across the region.