City Case Study
Designing for Collaboration in Detroit, Michigan
Structured alignment to support commercial corridor revitalization
Organizations Involved
The Detroit coalition included the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP), the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), and Live6 Alliance. DDP played the lead role in this opportunity, bringing expertise in place-based economic development, small business support, and cross-sector collaboration. DDP had led the creation of Business Improvement Zones outside downtown and expanded its trademarked Clean and Safe program into multiple districts. DEGC, as the city’s primary economic development catalyst, added technical expertise, project management, and institutional reach. Live6 contributed trusted neighborhood relationships and experience in corridor revitalization in Northwest Detroit. The three organizations had collaborated on past initiatives, but the Alliance program created an opportunity to formalize alignment and deepen their partnership.
Community Context
Detroit’s commercial corridors display wide variation in activity and resources. While the downtown core has seen sustained investment, neighborhood districts often face hurdles in attracting tenants and maintaining and growing small businesses. At the same time, local business associations and community groups are active in supporting entrepreneurship and corridor vitality. The coalition aimed to bridge institutional reach and neighborhood knowledge to strengthen these business districts across the city.
Type of Project
The coalition initially pursued a project focused on stewardship practices for commercial corridors. By the midpoint of the program, they had engaged a consultant to support that work. After discussion, the partners agreed to pivot to a second project — development of a toolkit for alternative tenanting strategies for commercial properties. The revised project provided a more practical tool to help small businesses and entrepreneurs secure affordable retail and mixed-use space, while aligning more closely with each partner’s priorities and capacity.
Alliance Interventions
The Economic Partnership Alliance provided structured facilitation and consistent meeting space that partners identified as the most valuable part of the process. Monthly sessions allowed the organizations to bring sidelined conversations forward, test assumptions, and address misalignments. The structure created accountability and predictability, ensuring progress even amid heavy workloads. Partners also credited examples from other regions and the discipline of having regular meetings on the calendar with giving the collaboration traction and keeping momentum through the pivot.
Challenges Faced
Project scope and pivots: The transition from the initial project to the tenanting toolkit required candid dialogue about alignment and capacity. Managed openly, the shift reinforced rather than disrupted collaboration.
Capacity and resources: Differences in organizational size and resources became clear during the work. Volunteer business associations were involved in some discussions, but their lack of funding and capacity hindered consistent engagement. Balancing these dynamics required ongoing attention.
Funding constraints: Partners identified a consistent gap between strong ideas and the resources to implement them. Sustaining momentum while waiting for funding was a recurring concern.
Time and workload: Each organization faced limits on staff time. The structured facilitation and predictable meetings helped overcome this challenge, but maintaining engagement required discipline.
Successes & Outcomes
The Detroit coalition advanced a toolkit designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses access space in commercial districts. The project complemented broader efforts such as the Detroit Business Association Consortium and the Commercial Corridor Resiliency Coalition, ensuring alignment with citywide strategies. Beyond specific deliverables, the coalition reinforced a culture of collaboration across business districts. New associations, joint events, and grant applications reflected the influence of the partnership, with leaders noting that their collective voice was stronger than individual efforts.
Lessons Learned
Detroit’s experience demonstrates that even well-established partnerships require structure and facilitation to succeed. Regular meetings and predictable processes were essential to maintaining progress. The project pivot illustrated that course corrections, if managed transparently, can strengthen partnerships. The work also highlighted the importance of balancing ambition with realistic capacity and recognizing that success includes building durable infrastructure for collaboration as much as producing immediate outputs.
Do's and Don’ts
Key takeaways from the Detroit’s coalition's experience, what helped build momentum and what to watch out for when replicating this approach in your own community.
✓ Do
Do establish regular meeting schedules with clear follow-up to build predictability.
Do acknowledge differences in organizational resources early and adjust scope accordingly.
Do treat project pivots as opportunities for stronger alignment.
Do link projects to broader citywide initiatives to avoid duplication and maximize impact.
Do emphasize practical wins, such as clean and safe programs, which build credibility and momentum.
Do harness collaborations that have been in place long term to build momentum from existing efforts and avoid burnout among organizations.
✗ Don't
Don’t assume prior collaboration eliminates the need for structured facilitation.
Don’t continue projects that no longer align with partner capacity; course corrections can strengthen the effort.
Don’t overlook the limits of volunteer or unfunded groups; build realistic roles.
Don’t equate success only with large-scale outputs, process improvements, and cultural shifts matter.
Don’t ignore funding constraints; plan for phased progress that can withstand resource gaps.
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