Ask anyone in the Detroit region what they want for their community, and the answers sound remarkably alike. Good jobs, schools and opportunities for growth to ensure the next generation does not have to leave here to build a career.
These are not partisan goals, but shared goals that would benefit every family, elected official and small business owner across this 11-county region. More than any other factor, these are made possible by a growing economy.
In a few weeks, business, policy and community leaders from around Michigan will gather at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Many of the discussions will focus on how we can make those goals a reality, from education and business attraction to ensuring communities are prepared to shape the growth that comes their way, on their own terms.
“Economic development” carries complicated weight today. Not all recent investment and growth projects have been handled or received well. However, we simply can’t afford to stop growth.
We need to focus on smarter growth that is intentional, community-informed and built on a foundation of genuine partnership between governments, businesses and the communities that bear the consequences of these decisions. That is the work the Detroit Regional Partnership is already leading, making the case publicly and at every level of government, that growth, community values, and building wealth are not in conflict. When done in the spirit of true partnership, we can create a win-win scenario for our region.
We know what happens when regions stop growing. Tax bases shrink, and with them, the funding for schools, roads and public safety. Young people and talented workers leave for places with more opportunity. The businesses that remain find it harder to attract the people they need to grow.
This is where many of our communities are today. The Detroit Region’s population is growing at less than one percent per year, well below the national rate. Workforce participation is declining. The income gap between our highest- and lowest-earning households remains persistently wide. These are not the numbers of a region that has grown too much, but a region that desperately needs equitable growth.
Southeast Michigan is competing against regions across the country and around the world that are aggressively working to attract the same manufacturers, technology companies and global investors our communities need. When the region is not aligned, when sites are not ready, when the voice is fragmented, we lose those competitions before they begin. You only need to look south to Ohio to see how a long-term, well-funded vision for economic development can significantly improve competitiveness and strengthen communities.
Successful economic development requires opportunity and intention. Deep knowledge of industries, strong partnership and the ability to navigate complex challenges to connect opportunities with the right site and community are critical to competing in today’s global economy. That is why alignment matters more than ever right now. No single county, city or organization can compete globally on its own. Our competitive advantage lies in all of us working together, toward a shared vision of where this region can go.
The Detroit Region has everything it needs to grow: experienced manufacturing and engineering talent, an unmatched industrial heritage and the infrastructure and geography to compete globally. What we need is alignment and a shared commitment, across business, government and community, to build the future this region deserves.
That is why the Detroit Regional Partnership, working with partners across all 11 counties, is leading the development of a long-term regional economic vision. A shared roadmap that will define our priorities, align our partners and provide the clarity and consistency that businesses and investors need to choose Southeast Michigan for decades to come. We are at the beginning of that process. We are inviting partners, community leaders, residents, policymakers and business leaders across the region to help shape it. The decisions made in the next eighteen months, as a new governor takes office and a new legislative session begins, will set the trajectory for this region for a generation.
Building consensus and navigating the political nature of economic development across the Detroit region’s 348 communities will be deeply complex, but complexity is not an argument for paralysis. It is a mandate for better tools, deeper partnerships and more intentional strategy to replace the frustration of the past with a model that is accountable, community-rooted and built for the long term.
That is the work underway. We invite you to be part of it.
Maureen Donohue Krauss is President & CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership, an economic development organization supporting the city of Detroit and the surrounding 11 counties.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: The Detroit region needs growth — and a shared vision | Opinion
Reporting by Maureen Donohue Krauss / The Detroit News
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