north corktown cultural plan

livingLAB collaborated with Heritage Works and the North Corktown Neighborhood Association (NCNA) to develop a Cultural Plan for the North Corktown neighborhood –  located to the northwest of downtown Detroit and bounded by Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Lodge I-75 and I-96. The neighborhood has been through several planning efforts over the years and is currently a part of the Greater Corktown Framework Plan being led by the City of Detroit. The Cultural Plan is intended to build upon the previous work, set forth strategies for community-led projects, and directly influence the city’s planning document with hyper-local input.

The plan’s main goals of fostering conversations with the community, identifying priority cultural projects, building collaborative partnerships, seeking funding to further priority projects, and most importantly, setting forth a strategy for preserving and celebrating the culture of North Corktown, drove the process. Ultimately,  the plan sets forth five priority projects: Community Cultural Center, Murals and Street Art, Green Space and Recreation, Programs and Festivals, and Placekeeping: Preserving what makes North Corktown Unique

Heritage Works, a nonprofit with roots in the North Corktown neighborhood, promotes youth, family and community development through traditions, arts and education. With funding assistance from The Kresge Foundation and LISC ESPN, Heritage Works and the North Corktown Neighborhood Association convened community meetings, canvassed the neighborhood, and organized a neighborhood-based Steering Committee in order to inform the Cultural Plan.

The final document will be used to inform the City of Detroit planning process, support collaborations to move projects forward, seek funding, organize community groups to begin programming, and acquire property to begin implementation of the five priority projects.

• Date : February 27, 2020