Russell Residency Pitch
Marc Couillais
January 26th, 2008

I. Intro

Detroit is a dying city.  It has been for over 50 years now, with populations dwindling from a once 2 million to less than a million today. Detroit was built on the automobile and manufacturing, and today, China, has well, taken over that gig leaving a mass exodus here in Detroit.  But Detroit has alot going for it, some hidden and some very visible.   The art scene is bustling and foundations such as MOCAD have been founded as a marker of this growth.  Design shops have begun to pop up and a grassroots, handmade goods movement has been gaining steam in the metro area.  In addition, many aspects of Detroit that are often seen as a liability can actually be seen as opportunity.  Wherever there is failure, there is incentive to improve, and Detroit has a lot of failure. 


II. Detroit needs Young Creatives

Today we live in a global marketplace much different from even a decade ago.  Manufacturing jobs are being shipped overseas and America is quickly becoming an economy of creativity.  If Detroit really wants to rebound from it's half a century of decay, it needs to attract young creative professionals to inhabit the city and bring it inline with the changing world market. Richard Florida, one of today's leading urbanists, illustrates this point well, "More and more businesses understand that ethos and are making the adaptations necessary to attract and retain creative class employees - everything from relaxed dress codes, flexible schedules, and new work rules in the office to hiring recruiters who throw Frisbees. Most civic leaders, however, have failed to understand that what is true for corporations is also true for cities and regions: Places that succeed in attracting and retaining creative class people prosper; those that fail don't" (Florida). Detroit has a growing creative scene and it needs to be nourished and supported for it has the capability of reinventing the city and putting it back on the map.  There are a few organizations such as Fusion Detroit, Detroit: Make it Here, and Cool Cities that have been working to create the networks and infrastructure for new young creatives to succeed in the city.  These programs are instrumental in paving the road for creatives to succeed in Detroit.  Now we need to bring those creatives to town and help them establish vibrant businesses that can set the tone for others to follow. 

In addition to being creative, Detroit's newest constituency should be young, filled with ambition, and eager to implement new ideas.  In 2008, Michigan Future Inc. released a document titled, Young Talent in the Great Lakes: How Michigan is Faring.  It states, "This report is designed to identify where young professionals are concentrating in the Great Lakes. We focus on young college graduates because they are the most mobile. Young people are the most likely demographic group to move. And among the young, movement from one state to another is far higher for those with a four-year degree or more" (Michigan Future, Inc). Therefore, it is most profitable for cities in decline to concentrate their efforts on bringing in young people as opposed to appealing to the established family man.  In order for Detroit to see a significant renaissance, it will need to put great effort into attracting young creatives and becoming the place for the young and ambitious. 

More important than mobility though, young people bring new ideas to the table.  The internet and the global marketplace have drastically changed the way we live.  If you look at some of the major world changing innovations over the last 30 years, most of them were introduced by people under the age of 30.  Think search engine behemoth Google, revolutionary social networking application Facebook and personal computing pioneers Microsoft and Apple, all started by individuals in their 20's.  Again, Richard Florida shows an understanding of the changing times noting that, " In rapidly changing industries, it's often the most recent graduates who have the most up-to-date skills" (Florida).  If Detroit is to change with the times, better yet, get ahead of the times, it needs to bring in those who are brave enough to make change, and young enough to pave their own way.  Often people see the lack of experience as a liability when really it allows people to think freely and choose paths nobody thought to travel before.  Detroit can make a name for itself, giving the ambitious youth of the nation a chance to create new businesses, new business models, and new environments.  Don't attract the present, draw in the future. 


III. Creative Opportunities in Detroit


It's quite evident that young creatives have a lot to offer a city like Detroit, but what does Detroit have to offer young creatives? Of course Detroit has a lot of blight, over 85,000 vacant homes, some 60,000 vacant lots, and over 70,000 foreclosed homes in the surrounding area (US Census 2000). Sure, mass exodus is terrible, but it also provides really low housing prices, really affordable office and manufacturing space, and a lower cost of living.  The blight of Detroit has a bright side and it's called opportunity.  All throughout history artists have flocked to blighted areas to be afforded the time to perfect their craft.  Detroit offers this opportunity, however it isn't exposed as such or provoked, it's simply hidden, as America's bleeding heart.  But I say be proud Detroit, be what you are, and make the best of it.  The low cost of operation will allow start up businesses more time, space, and capital to perfect their products.  These are 3 of the most invaluable assets to new businesses, and Detroit has the capability to maximize these assets.  In addition, there  are many city, state and federal tax incentives for companies willing to locate to Detroit.  This can further profit a start up company easing the financial load which so often capsizes small start ups. 

In addition to the many financial perks, Detroit offers an amazing urban condition that can't be found anywhere else, the urban prairie.  It is here that mother nature is left to reclaim whole city blocks abandoned by society leaving wild foxes, dogs, and even rare birds to roam this new found habitat absent of human intervention.  These new terrains can be explored and built upon.  One could ask, how do we grow this, how do we make this an asset?  It is true that Detroit blends the city with true nature unlike any other city in the world.  While these 60,000+ vacant lots begin to blend into a new natural landscape they also offer the opportunity for new developments.  The urban prairie can become home to a new housing experiment blending nature seamlessly with the city dwelling.  In addition, the over 80,000 abandoned homes can be looked at in a new light.  Housing can be obtained at cheap rates and new housing experiments can be conducted with renovation and reconstruction.  Materials can be harvested and new  structures can be built out of old structures.  Detroit offers the opportunity to develop a whole new world where city and the natural world work together to provide a quality of life unlike any other. 

In addition to it's growing collection of natural habitats, Detroit also has a growing collection of artist and technology laboratories.  Tech incubators have sprung up in midtown and buildings such as the Russell Industrial center provide cheap space for applied artists and manufactures.  Here, literally hundreds of artists, professionals, and developers work to create their own ideas.  In addition, communities like these provide for collaboration and guidance for young creatives stuck in a rut.  It is here that ideas grow and flourish into real world applications.  These communities need to be built upon and invigorated with youth, motivation and drive.  Where youth and creativity mix with craft and tradition, world changing ideas will follow.  Detroit has the resources and the skilled craftsman to guide young creatives to success, now it needs the young creatives.  

IV. The Residency
      
The Russell Residency has 2 goals, one immediate and one for the future.  First, the residency aims to directly draw young creatives into the city and help them establish creative enterprises.  Detroit is in the process of creating infrastructure for a new demographic however there really isn't any motivation for young people to set up shop.  The residency will change that, painting a picture of opportunity and bringing in the most ambitious creative entrepreneurs to bolster Detroit's growing creative environment.  In the long term, the residency aims to attract more young people through the businesses already created by past participants and fostering a new creative energy.  Detroit's urban center is highly devoid of activity and retail.  The residency will help establish store fronts for new independent ventures, drawing suburbanites back to the city to shop and creating a face for a new Detroit.

The Residency will operate out of the Russell Industrial Center, the creative hub of Detroit.  Here residents will be given workspace in a community of designers and makers to begin the foundation of their venture.  This collaborative environment will help residents get familiar with the area, as well as learn what it takes to start a business.  In addition, the community will be available to assist the residents when they are stuck in a rut or need assistance with their projects.  Russell Industrial Center has ample space available so there is room for any sort of venture, and optimistically, expansion. To supplement their studio space, all of the residents will participate in a storefront in the downtown corridor.  This will serve to sell the residents' goods, advertise their services, and most importantly, add some activity to the dying city core.  If successful, this simple store front could invigorate other designers to open shops, creating a new independent shopping experience downtown. 

Participation is aimed toward young college graduates in the applied arts and design fields who desire to start their own design based studio or shop.  2-4 entities , whether single designers or teams, will be chosen to participate on a 6 month basis.  During this period the residents will be provided housing, studio space, and a stipend for food, travel and materials.  In addition, there will be many activities made available for the residents to get out, connect to the city, and grow their business.  This includes meetings with key community members, entrepreneurs, and business professionals.  There will also be an executive director of the residency who will work to make sure the residents have everything they need, including access to the city's wealth of resources.

In order to attract students, posters will be sent out to all of the applied arts programs across the nation with a letter to the Dean explaining the program.  Every program from architecture, to web design will have a a copy of our poster up for students to see.  A graphic designer will be hired to create a compelling design that will paint Detroit as a city of opportunity and explain the residency in slight detail.  A simple website will need to be created in order to further inform potential participants of the requirements and to accept applications.  In the future this website will play a larger role, however, initially it will simply serve as a means to inform and receive applications.  Press releases will also be sent out to respected design sources including newspapers, magazines, blogs and journals. 

V. Financial Assessment


There are a few avenues that one can take to achieve the basic necessities of the Residency.  First there is sponsorship.  Local businesses, art organizations, and development corporations can account for a large part of the capital needs.  This program is aimed to create growth in the city and draw new talent that can help these entities in the future.  Next, some of the needs can be met by donation.  Housing, studio space, office space, and the retail store front could all be donated in the interest of building the city.  These spaces aren't in particularly high demand so there should be someway to tap into this resource at low or no cost.  Finally, a large benefit party can be held annually to raise money for the program.  There can be a silent auction for previous resident's work as well as work from artists in the Russell Industrial Center.  This event will draw business people, community members, art enthusiasts, and suburban leaders into the burgeoning creative culture forming in Detroit. 

VI. Conclusion

This residency won't solve all of Detroit's problems, what it will do is bring young creatives to the city and begin to build a new image for Detroit, an image of opportunity, youth, and creativity.   If Detroit desires to reinvent itself, a necessity to succeed in the 21st century, then it needs to appeal to a younger generation.  Oddly enough, Detroit has alot of what future generations will desire, opportunity.  By helping to establish a few young creatives in the city, and showcasing the present opportunities, Detroit can begin to turn the corner and begin a new era, an era of creativity.




    Florida, Richard. "The Rise of the Creative Class" Washington Monthly May 2002.  <http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0205.florida.html>
(24 January 2009).

    Michigan Future, Inc. Young Talent in the Great Lakes: How Michigan is Faring. July 2008. <http://www.michiganfuture.org/Reports/YoungTalentInTheGreatLakesFINAL.pdf>
(24 January 2009).

    U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005-2007 Summary Tables ; generated by Marc Couillais; using American FactFinder; <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=Detroit&_cityTown=Detroit&_state=04000US26&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010>; (24 January 2009).