The International Downtown Association (IDA) has recognized the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) with the Downtown Achievement Pinnacle Award for its work and initiatives related to the DDP’s I-375 Peer Review and community engagement.
The DDP’s project submission is titled “A New Standard for Community-Driven Engagement: Repairing the Past and Shaping the Future.”
Each year, IDA recognizes outstanding projects through the Downtown Achievement Awards, which honor organizations worldwide for advancing urban centers. The Pinnacle Award is the IDA’s highest honor and celebrates the most inspiring innovations in urban place management.
This year, an IDA member jury selected winners in leadership development; organizational management; economic development; marketing, communications and events; planning, design and infrastructure; policy and advocacy; and public space management and operations. DDP’s Peer Review and community engagement initiatives won in the Policy and Advocacy category.
The I-375 Reconnecting Communities Project, led by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the city of Detroit, proposed replacing a downtown freeway with a surface-level boulevard. Early designs prioritized traffic flow, relied on outdated data and were introduced without fully integrating meaningful public input, leaving residents and business leaders questioning whether the project reflected a shared vision for Detroit’s future.
Backed by a $3.2 million grant from The Kresge Foundation, DDP stepped forward to lead an independent Peer Review and a comprehensive engagement process that brought together residents, corporate and small business leaders, institutional partners, and visitor perspectives. The effort reframed the project around current data, best practices and community priorities, and united diverse stakeholders, leveraged catalytic public funding for maximum economic and placemaking impact and established a replicable framework for community-led infrastructure planning.
“The Pinnacle Award is a tremendous honor for the Downtown Detroit Partnership and our partners which affirms the depth of our efforts to ensure a community-driven process that respects Detroit’s past while shaping its future,” says Eric B. Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership.
“The I-375 Peer Review demonstrates what is possible when we listen to the community and work together toward a shared vision. We thank the International Downtown Association for recognizing this work and the many partners who contributed their expertise and perspectives to this important process.”
DDP was recognized for its award-winning project during an awards ceremony at the 72nd Annual Conference & Marketplace.
Read the Peer Review and learn more about the I-375 project at DowntownDetroit.org/I-375.
