The Detroit Cultural Center Association (DCCA) has taken a bold step into the global spotlight, receiving the prestigious “Partners in Progress” Award at the 2024 Bay Urban Visioning Awards. Presented at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, on October 9, this award recognizes collaborative urban projects that push boundaries and demonstrate a powerful long-term vision for communities.
The honor underscores the Detroit Cultural Center Association’s forward-looking “Cultural Center Guiding Plan,” a project built on a spirit of collaboration aimed at Detroit’s revitalization. Susan Mosey, the Interim Executive Director of DCCA, expressed the profound significance of the award. “This is more than just recognition; it’s validation. It tells us that our partnership here in Detroit is on par with global leaders working to shape inclusive, culture-centered urban futures.”
This milestone reflects Detroit’s ability to join ranks with cities worldwide, taking Detroit’s 83-acre Cultural Center from a local gem to an international case study in urban renewal. Projects such as these do more than beautify; they create opportunities and connect communities with sustainable, shared spaces. That spirit of innovation and connection was precisely what the Bay Urban Visioning Awards intended to highlight through this year’s inaugural edition. Hosted by Bilbao Metropoli 30—a coalition of over 140 public and private stakeholders—the awards recognize projects that blend visionary urban planning with public-private collaboration for global impact.
The DCCA’s winning initiative, known formally as the Cultural Center Planning Initiative (CCPI), represents a groundbreaking reimagination of Detroit’s cultural landscape. This initiative brought together Detroit’s leading cultural institutions, academic entities, local government, and private sector partners, uniting them around a mission to revitalize Detroit’s Cultural Center. The project addresses critical urban challenges, including climate adaptation, public space innovation, digital connectivity, and social inclusion. By focusing on these pillars, the CCPI seeks to bring about a more equitable, sustainable, and culturally vibrant Detroit.
The project is rooted in community, engaging Detroit residents from various neighborhoods through open workshops, design presentations, and public events. The goal is clear: to make Detroiters active participants in reshaping the spaces they frequent and treasure. “This isn’t just about designing spaces; it’s about creating a framework for how we all come together to envision a shared future,” said Anya Sirota, Principal of Akoaki and lead architect on the project. “Collaboration has its challenges, but it’s necessary to create spaces that truly reflect the community’s values and hopes.”
DCCA’s impact ripples through programming that has reinvigorated the district, including events like DLECTRICITY, Educators’ Night, and the New Standards Jazz Series. These gatherings create vibrant, accessible experiences that draw people back into Detroit’s cultural heart, reaffirming the Center’s place as a core of regional arts and community engagement. DCCA, founded as a nonprofit in early 2024, has worked hard to strengthen this legacy, bringing together 12 of Detroit’s most prominent arts, educational, and cultural institutions under a united mission of inclusivity, access, and innovation.
The award selection panel included thought leaders from across the globe, each of whom has significantly contributed to conversations around urban regeneration, cultural infrastructure, and public space design. Among them were Christian Bason, former CEO of the Danish Design Center, Gabriella Gómez-Mont of Experimentalista, and Carlos Moreno, the architect behind the “15-Minute City” concept. Together, they praised the Cultural Center Planning Initiative as “ambitious, holistic, and transformative,” noting that the project offers a vision of Detroit’s future that is both locally inspired and globally relevant.
“This recognition from such a distinguished panel affirms our commitment and reminds us of the project’s potential to inspire on a global scale,” said Olivier Philippe, Principal of Agence Ter and lead landscape architect for the CCPI. The DCCA’s vision aligns with a movement to promote sustainable mobility, shift from car-centric designs, and reimagine urban spaces to better serve public life and engagement.
As the initiative moves into its next phase, the DCCA continues its fundraising efforts to redevelop the underground parking deck located at Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street. This space, owned by the Detroit Institute of Arts, will be enhanced with a green roof as part of DCCA’s commitment to environmental sustainability. While $29.15 million has already been raised toward the project’s goals—including public Wi-Fi installation and cultural programming—the DCCA still needs an additional $18 million to bring its vision to fruition.
The effort to fund and expand the Cultural Center Planning Initiative reflects the widespread support from the community and a coalition of generous supporters. Funders such as the William Davidson Foundation, Knight Foundation, Gilbert Family Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and Michigan Arts and Culture Council have shown a dedication to the growth and transformation of Detroit’s Cultural Center.
The Detroit Cultural Center Association’s journey represents an investment in the future of Detroit itself, a city whose resilience and legacy inspire beyond borders. The global acknowledgment by the Bay Urban Visioning Awards is more than a commendation; it’s a reminder of the power of community-driven, collaborative urban planning. Detroit’s Cultural Center Guiding Plan is now a blueprint for cities everywhere to consider as they confront challenges of inclusion, environmental adaptation, and sustainable growth.
By placing Detroit among global leaders in urban innovation, the DCCA’s achievements stand as a testament to what is possible when community voices are valued and local partnerships are formed with the future in mind. This win signals a collective step forward for Detroit and a milestone for communities worldwide, showing the way for urban spaces to become inclusive, sustainable, and a true reflection of the people they serve.
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