Join the nation's leading inner city economic development experts for two days of discussions on the latest research in the field, against the backdrop of Detroit, an epicenter of revitalization and redevelopment.

This event is hosted by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Economic Development Quarterly and SAGE Publications. 

Register

Summit Day 1 - September 15: Welcome to Detroit! 

Kicking off in the afternoon, the day will include a bus tour that will highlight some of the projects reshaping Detroit's inner city and an evening reception to celebrate the release of Economic Development Quarterly's special edition. John Gallagher, author and journalist for the Detroit Free Press, will share a local perspective on Detroit's redevelopment.

Summit Day 2 - September 16: What's Driving Development?

Featuring Michael Porter, Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School and ICIC's founder and chairman, who will help us rethink the competitive advantages of inner cities. Matthew Cullen, President and CEO of Rock Ventures, LLC, will highlight the private organizations driving revitalization and reinvestment in Detroit.

The day will also include robust sessions tackling the unique advantages and obstacles facing inner city business development. These panels will feature new academic research, with responses from experts in the field.