Detroit City of Design Summit

About

During the 2016 Detroit Design Festival, we’ll convene leaders from Detroit’s design community, government, community development, business and industry, along with international partners to explore how we can utilize design and to build a better city. Detroit was recently named the first and only UNESCO City of Design in the United States. Detroit Creative Corridor Center and Creative Many Michigan have partnered to host a Summit to kick off a year-long planning process to build a vision for Detroit City of Design. 

First we'll spend a day with local, national and international thought-leaders in a series of facilitated conversations and exchange of ideas about how to build an adaptive, equitable, sustainable and innovative city. Then, we'll split up for Day 2, sending half of attendees on a Detroit City of Design Tour while the other half participates in a hackathon to develop concepts for visualizing Detroit's design community. The projects will be included as part of the Detroit City of Design exhibition in Saint-Etienne, France, as part of their 10th Design Biennale next March.

The Summit is intended for design practitioners, community leaders, planners and policymakers, and anyone else who is passionate about utilizing design for good. This two-day event will take place at the Jam Handy Building in Detroit's North End neighborhood. The ticket price includes breakfast, lunch, and cocktails and appetizers in the evening, and a yearlong subscription to AZURE Magazine.

Learn more about the festival and see the full schedule at www.detroitdesignfestival.com.

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Presenting sponsor: Lear Corporation

Supporting sponsors: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Azure Magazine, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs, New Economy Initative, MGM Grand Detroit, Michigan Film and Digital Media Office

Info

When: Thursday, September 22 (8am-7pm) - Friday, September 23 (9am-8pm), 2016

Location: Jam Handy Building 2900 E Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202

Speakers: See a full list of moderators and panelists here. 

Cost:

$105.00 - 2 Days

includes breakfast, lunch, and cocktails and appetizers in the evening, and a yearlong subscription to Azure magazine

$75.00 - Day 1 only 

includes breakfast, lunch, and cocktails and appetizers in the evening, and a yearlong subscription to Azure magazine. Limited quantity available

Parking: Street parking is available on E. Grand Boulevard Ave. or Horton St.

Learn more about the festival and see the full schedule at www.detroitdesignfestival.com.

Schedule

9.21 Leveraging our UNESCO Designation (Free Event)

Location: University of Detroit Mercy 

6pm-8pm

In celebration of Detroit’s recent UNESCO City of Design designation, the 2016 Detroit Design Festival will kick off with a panel discussion featuring international guests from four fellow UNESCO Cities of Design. Join us to learn more about the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and how other cities have leveraged the designation to support equitable, sustainable, growth in their community. This event is free and open to the public but seating is limited.

9.22 The Summit - Day 1

8am - 7pm

A series of facilitated conversations with local, national and international thought-leaders to exchange ideas about how design can help build an adaptive, equitable and sustainable city. Breakfast, lunch, and a post-event reception are provided. Speakers include Josh McManus (‎Chief Operating Officer, Rock Ventures), Pamela Lewis (Director, New Economy Initiative), Michael Ford (Principal, BRANDNU Design, and Andrew Blauvelt (Director, Cranbrook Art Museum).

On Sustainability 

Moderated by Cezanne Charles (Director of Creative Industries, Creative Many Michigan)

On Equity 

Moderated by Lauren Hood, (Director, Live 6 Alliance)

On Adaptation

Moderated by Dan Kinkead, (Co-leader of Urban Design Practice, Smithgroup JJR)

On Innovation

Moderated by Terri Tanoose (Vice President of Marketing and Global Affairs, Lear Corporation)

Happy hour and book signing

After the summit ends, we'll close with a reception and book signing with Ryan Gravel, author of “Where we Want to Live: Reclaiming Infrastructure for the Next Generation of Cities” sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

9.23   The Summit - Day 2 

8am - 7pm

Participants will have their choice between two activities for Day 2 of the Summit - a daylong ideas challenge that will take place at the Jam Handy, or a daylong tour of iconic places and secret spaces in Detroit's design community. Breakfast, lunch, and a post-event reception are provided.

Option 1 - Ideas Challenge: Visualizing Detroit's Design Community

 (Limited capacity: 70 attendees max.)

The Detroit City of Design Ideas Challenge is a day-long workshop where participants will work in teams to develop concepts for visualizing Detroit's design community. From huge companies and iconic educational institutions to design practitioners and entrepreneurs to planners and community activists, Detroit’s design community is robust, extensive, diverse, and a dominating force in our economy and the global design community. The challenge, however, is that it can be hard to identify what or who is Detroit’s design community. 

So here’s our idea. Let’s put our heads together to develop a way to visualize and connect with everyone in the Detroit design network. Using the themes of adaptation, equity, sustainability, and innovation from Day 1 of the Summit, designers will gather to create living models of how to visualize our growing network of dynamic designers, firms, projects and communities in metro Detroit.

Option 2 - Detroit City of Design Experience

Join the Detroit Experience Factory for a tour of Detroit's design gems, including studio visits, iconic architecture, and more. Visit the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, The Fisher Bulding, The Avenue of Fashion, CAN Art Handworks, and a number of other great locations in the city.

Closing Reception

After a day of touring and hacking, attendees will reconvene at the Jam Handy. The teams will present their ideas to the full summit audience and a guest panel of judges. Prizes will be awarded to the top projects based on public voting. The hackathon process will be included as part of the Detroit City of Design Exhibition during the 10th Saint-Etienne Design Biennale in 2017.

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**Each ticket to the Design Summit includes a digital subscription to AZURE Magazine -- that's a $25.95 value (1 Year - 8 Issues)! In its pages, AZURE profiles international designers and architects, reports on major trends in North America and Europe and investigates design issues related to our society. Presenting and exploring innovative projects, materials, products and ideas. AZURE is an indispensable resource for architects, designers and the design-savvy public. Don’t miss out - register today!