In partnership with Connect313 and College for Creative Studies, Design Core’s City of Design Challenge invites participants to develop community tech hubs to improve access and opportunity in Detroit neighborhoods.
The digital divide prevents many Detroiters from participating in an increasingly digital world, and the situation has only gotten worse as COVID-19 has forced schools, libraries, and many other city services online.
This challenge invites teams to develop concepts to deliver public services in a more flexible, innovative, and resident-centered way. Successful concepts will focus on improving the experiences of residents and offer greater access to public services in community spaces.
This program is part of the Detroit City of Design initiative. To learn more about the challenge experience click here!
In partnership with Detroit’s Office of Digital Inclusion, this challenge invites participants to develop community tech hubs that support the needs of residents and foster more engaged and informed communities.
The digital divide prevents many Detroiters from participating in an increasingly digital world, and the situation has only gotten worse as COVID-19 has forced schools, libraries, and many other city services online.
This challenge invites teams to develop concepts to deliver public services to residents in a more flexible, innovative, and user-centered way, improving the experience in spaces where people access these services in their communities and expanding their reach through accessible digital experiences.
Selected participants will develop their concepts over the summer with funding, resources and community input before debuting virtual models during Digital Inclusion Week in October 2021. A smaller group of participants will receive additional funds to test their concept and document the process, showcasing results the following year during Detroit Month of Design and the Cumulus Conference in Fall 2022.
Throughout the summer, we hosted a series of lunchtime conversations, demos, Q&As, and other programming on design, community tech, and (almost) everything in between. We heard from a diverse array of experts, made new connections, and learned something new!
The recording of each session can be found HERE.
Design Core, Connect313, and College for Creative Studies hosted a family-friendly cinema-style event to celebrate the people and projects participating in the 2021 City of Design Challenge.
rootoftwo is a research- and practice-driven design studio, co-directed by Cézanne Charles and John Marshall based in Detroit and Ann Arbor. rootoftwo’s creative work raises questions about ubiquitous computing through tangible interaction with objects and environments. Their work also explores the consequences of under-imagined futures and facilitates people to imagine and shape collective actions for more just transformations. rootoftwo has been recognized with an AIA Michigan Honor Award 2016 Rules of the Road (with DAUB); SXSW Place by Design Finalist (2016) and Knight Arts Challenge Awards (2015 + 2014). Their work has been featured in Wired, FastCompany, Dezeen, Metropolis Magazine, Fresh Art International, Architectural Review, Architectural Record, and The Guardian.