Explore our progress toward the Agenda Outcomes below:

Metrics for Success

Goal 1: Increase access to healthy food, green spaces, and recreation opportunities

Having access to healthy food and exercise are essential to Detroiters’ ability to thrive in their communities and lead healthier lifestyles. Food distribution has been front and center during the pandemic, with the Parks and Rec team distributing more than 2 million meals in 2020, about 25 times more than the average 80 thousand meals annually pre-pandemic.

Within City parks, we piloted planting and maintenance strategies to provide habitat and tree canopy, while reducing maintenance barriers. The General Services Department (GSD), in partnership with DWSD and others, implemented green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) throughout the park system as part of regular compliance and to improve environmental outcomes, educate residents, and provide a natural park amenity. Sites include Rouge Park, O’Hair Park, Palmer Park, Chandler Park, and more.

Parks and Rec grew the City’s soccer program from 300 participants in 2019 to over 2,000 in 2021. Additionally, in 2019 the City launched a T-ball league with over 250 participants and ran 50+ sports clinics during the summer of 2021. $30M was appropriated for new and expanded recreation centers.

Goal 2: Improve air quality and reduce exposure to pollution

Poor air quality and consistent exposure to pollution have negative impacts on health. For Detroiters to live healthier lives, we must ensure they can breathe clean air. There has been an increased focus on targeting communities within vulnerable census tracts for tree planting efforts to lower temperatures and mitigate pollution, with over $1 million spent in 2021 in these areas.

In 2021, the Department of Public Works (DPW) completed a pilot truck routing study for the 360 miles of commercial streets in Southwest Detroit, recommending 60 miles of commercial truck routes. Municipal parking enforcement has begun a transition to 100% electric vehicles, hybrid SUVs will replace about 300 oversized pickup trucks used by field services crews, and 600 hybrid police pursuit vehicles were purchased. DDOT expanded its electric bus project to purchase four buses, which will reduce diesel emissions that Detroiters breathe on a day-to-day basis.

Goal 3:  Advance equity in access to economic opportunity

For Detroiters to thrive, they must have access to opportunities. However, economic opportunity is not equitably accessible by all Detroiters. In order to change this, the City developed hiring practices to enable more Detroiters to be at the top of the list for City roles and developed a leadership development program to promote diverse leaders. In 2018, the City of Detroit and Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA)) entered into an agreement to ensure that Detroiters have priority access to 5,000 new jobs, which helped set the course for the City to work with dozens of new employers to provide priority hiring for Detroiters going forward. The City will soon launch the Skills for Life program which will provide paid work and training opportunities for ,1200 people over three years.

To prepare Detroiters for these jobs, through a partnership between Detroit Public Schools and Detroit at Work, the City began delivering free adult high school completion programs with a stipend for participants who complete the program. Additionally, DDOT has placed Wi-Fi on 120 DDOT busses to improve internet access for Detroiters. The Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity Department has established the Office of Disability Affairs and released a 3-year strategic plan.

Metrics for Success

Goal 4: Reduce the total cost of housing, including utilities

In 2016, an estimated 48 percent of Detroit residents spent more than 30 percent of their monthly income on housing and utility costs—a level defined as a burden by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This level of spending on basic housing needs is not sustainable for residents. Significant changes in the Water Residential Affordability Program (WRAP) eligibility requirements and benefits since 2019 made 5,000 more Detroiters eligible per year and increased the plumbing repair assistance cap by 50% to $1,500, with 20,000 Detroiters assisted to date.

DWSD leveraged $22 million in state and federal funding, largely through the CARES Act, to provide direct bill assistance to 40,000 accounts as well as major plumbing repairs at 600 households amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the City developed and incorporated displacement prevention standards into development projects receiving City support. The Housing and Revitalization Department and Wayne Metro are developing a common client intake and home inspection form to enable program clients to access multiple programs with one application.

Goal 5  Improve the health and safety of existing and new housing

The health and safety of homes can significantly impact Detroiters, with lead representing one of the greatest health threats in Detroit housing. The Housing and Revitalization Department disseminated lead dust cleaning kits to 84 families that participated in nursing case management, with 61 families referred for lead abatement services since 2019. They also facilitated 220 lead case management visits and partnered with Southwest Detroit Business Association and the Erb Foundation to pilot a contractor training program for lead abatement work, in both English and Spanish, with participants now hired by construction firms.

Metrics for Success

Goal 6: Transform vacant lots into safe, productive, sustainable spaces

Transforming vacant lots into safe, productive, sustainable spaces can increase the safety and vibrancy of our neighborhoods. Since 2019, the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA) has sold nearly 8,600 structures to be rehabbed and occupied, and has sold nearly 9,000 lots. Additionally, the DLBA launched the Neighborhood Lot program, which makes vacant lots available to residents that live within 500 feet if neighboring residents do not purchase through the side lot program. DWSD is also making measurable steps towards fee structures and regulatory guidelines for residential irrigation in the City.

Goal 7: Reduce waste sent to landfills

Thriving neighborhoods should have access to amenities like trash collection, recycling, and composting that allow residents to practice sustainability in their daily lives. The City’s single-family home curbside recycling participation rate reached 38% in August 2021. Recycling service is now provided at 70 City of Detroit buildings and the Department of Public Works is making it available in more spaces, like commercial buildings, multi-family buildings, and City parks. The City also began partnering with several pilot community composting programs lead by Food Plus Detroit, Georgia Street Community Collective, and Wayne State University.

Goal 8: Make it easier and safer to get around Detroit without a personal vehicle

Creating more connected neighborhoods requires making it easier and safer to get around and between Detroit’s neighborhoods. From 2019 to 2021, DPW made safety and ADA compliance improvements to 12 miles of priority corridors, including Harper Ave., Mack Ave., and Mt. Elliot, with similar improvements planned for 17 miles of corridors in 2022. Additionally, 6,715 speed humps and speed cushions were installed to slow traffic on residential streets, as well as speed tables at pedestrian crossings along Mayor Archer Greenway, Scotten and Clark Streets, among other locations. The City launched a micro-transit pilot to connect Detroiters with manufacturing corridors, continues to operate micro-mobility scooter programs, and supported Covid transportation efforts for Detroiters without vehicles. The City added 18 miles of protected bike lanes and launched a pilot program, leasing 100 MoGo e-bikes to City employees. The framework plan and construction has begun on the Joe Louis Greenway, which will provide extensive, safe opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists to get around the city.

 Metrics for Success

Goal 9  Enhance infrastructure and operations to improve resilience to climate impacts

As Detroit experiences more extreme precipitation events, wastewater infrastructure can become overwhelmed. By expanding and targeting the location of green stormwater infrastructure, we can reduce the impacts of these events. Green stormwater infrastructure was built into the Livernois and Kercheval Streetscape Projects and DWSD awarded a contract for a large green stormwater infrastructure project at Charles Wright Academy. In January of 2020, the City released the Eastern Market Neighborhood Framework Plan, developed by the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Eastern Market Partnership, and others. This framework includes a neighborhood scale stormwater management network plan with greenways adjacent to 68 acres of redevelopment, to manage stormwater.

The City strives to include green stormwater infrastructure in streetscape projects whenever possible, and developed design guidance for it in the Transportation Master Plan. Additionally, the Complete Streets team is wrapping up the Streets for People transportation planning effort focused on making it easier and safer for all Detroiters to move around the City.

Goal 10: Reduce municipal and citywide greenhouse gas emissions

To become a truly green city, we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This includes reducing emissions from City operations as well as emissions from Detroit’s residents and businesses, as required by City ordinance 25-19, Chapter 24, Article XIV. Working towards this goal, the Office of Sustainability has developed new greenhouse gas assessments for both community and municipal emissions. The City is also in the process of developing a Climate Action Strategy to addresses mitigation and adaptation in Detroit, funded by the Kresge Foundation. We are working with a Climate Equity Advisory Council to embed equity throughout the strategy.

The Mayor signed on to the Race to Zero, a commitment to a 50% reduction in Citywide emissions by 2034 and net-zero by 2050. In partnership with the Detroit 2030 District, the Office of Sustainability launched the Mayors’ Energy Challenge in early 2020, and relaunched it in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 60 commercial buildings and 37 municipal buildings competing to reduce emissions in 2021.