Friday, August 23, 2013

Motor City (Detroit): Through the Lens of the CPBB


 
At the Center for Priority Based Budgeting (CPBB), we are huge proponents, advocates and supporters of local government and City innovation.  The CPBB is a unique, creative group with the philosophy that Cities must do things differently if they are to survive. In particular, Cities must collaborate with their County, public sector, private sector and non-profit partners to strategically, efficiently and creatively deliver services.

We believe that across the board budget cuts are ineffective. Cities must understand all the services they currently provide citizens, where these services are duplicated by non-profit and/or private sector partners and which entity is providing the most superior and effective service level. Some of the best things taking place in a community are coming about from partnerships, where local government is the leader, the facilitator, and often times a key partner, but not always necessarily the only possible service provider. Where the City isn't providing the most effective service level then they should get out of that line of business and let their partners thrive.


When most folks think of Detroit, they typically think of bankruptcy, thousands of abandoned homes
and structures, a shrinking city and/or a city in an unavoidable spiral of decline and mayhem. At the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, we see a city possibly entering a period of significant redevelopment, economic resurgence and endless opportunities for the city and its public/private partners to improve services. We see a city on the verge of joining the Metropolitan Revolution!



To find out exactly what is happening in Detroit, we'll be on the ground the full week of August 25th through August 31st. We'll be walking neighborhoods, the downtown core (Midtown), interviewing prominent civic leaders, talking to independent business owners, drinking coffee with the new wave of urban pioneers leaving cities like Brooklyn and Portland to relocate to Detroit, and assessing public/private partnerships to better understand what is motivating these opportunities and a possible Detroit resurgence. We'll be posting updates on our blog and live tweeting as we gain a better understanding of just what's happening in Detroit! Be sure to follow the CPBB investigation into one of the most unique and relevant local government issues facing the nation today!

From this....
We're curious about what happens when Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, moves his company HQ's from the suburbs to downtown and buys up nearly 20 abandoned downtown skyscrapers (7 million square feet), refurbishes them, and then provides affordable office space for tech start-ups; or when organizations like Michipreneur , Urban Innovation Exchange and Challenge Detroit start luring young, educated and inspired millennials to the City and unleashing them on a thriving tech start-up community; and when housing is very affordable in an attractive downtown core. Could this be part of the Detroit resurgence recipe?

We'll also be talking to Nolan Finley, Editorial Page Editor of the Detroit News. Nolan's extensive city knowledge and journalism experience covering the Motor City should help provide historical context and, perhaps, even a glimpse of the future. We don't know what the future holds for Detroit, but we're going to try and find out.

To this!

The Center for Priority Based Budgeting prides itself on developing and staying ahead of the latest innovative, creative and effective local government trends. Lately these include:
And now we will be hitting the mean streets of Detroit in an effort to understand and identify what this city is doing to recover from bankruptcy and decades of political corruption and inefficient government service delivery. The lessons learned will be interesting, and possibly ground-breaking, as Detroit identifies how to thrive once again in this new Decade of Local Government.

Keep an eye on the CPBB blog for further updates. Sign-up for our social media pages so you stay connected with TEAM CPBB!

 facebook  twitter  LinkedIn

If you're thinking of jumping into the world of Fiscal Health and Wellness through Priority Based Budgeting we would certainly like to be part of your efforts! Contact us to schedule a free webinar and identify the best CPBB service option(s) to meet your organization's particular needs.
 


No comments:

Post a Comment