Gilbert Doubles Down on Downtown Detroit With Ambitious Placemaking Plan

Rather than succumb to the negative news surrounding Detroit's dire financial situation, businessman and booster Dan Gilbert is doubling down on his extensive investment in the city with an ambitious effort to enliven downtown's public spaces.

2 minute read

March 29, 2013, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


A new upscale grocery store, new retail storefronts, activated parks and plazas, and pedestrian amenities are part of the broad “Placemaking Vision For Downtown Detroit” unveiled this week by Dan Gilbert.

"As early as this summer, the Quicken Loans Inc. chairman said Thursday, downtown workers and visitors will see planned infrastructure upgrades to Grand Circus and Capitol parks," reports Daniel Howes. "In the works are outdoor cafes, a beer garden, concerts, movies, new landscaping and upgrades to the ground floors of Gilbert-owned buildings."

"'A big chunk of this is going to happen this summer,' he told a crowd of roughly 400 downtown business owners and supporters crammed into the City Theater. 'Agreed upon. Funded. What Detroit doesn't need is a grand plan that's 50 years out, 20 years out, 10 years out.'"

"'We're all in,' said the mortgage impresario, who less than three years ago began moving his companies downtown from Livonia and since has acquired 22 buildings in the city. 'We have no Plan B because if we did, we believe it would distract from Plan A.'"

Developed with the assistance of the Project for Public Spaces, Terremark, Shook Kelly and Gibbs Planning Group, the over-arching goals of the plan are "[t]o create street-level energy that is inviting and comfortable. And, second, to use the bones of Detroit's past — its historic buildings and iconic parks — to chart the city's future with investment that builds density by bringing people (and market demand) back downtown," says Howes.

Friday, March 29, 2013 in The Detroit News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

3 hours ago - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

4 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

5 hours ago - Cities Today