Detroit (WWJ) -- Along with a new website, the new brand identity “Detroit Make It Here” was unveiled Wednesday in front of crowd of 200 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
The Detroit Renaissance initiative to grow the region’s creative economy is one of of six outlined in the Road to Renaissance, a set of specific strategies to transform the economy in Detroit and Southeast Michigan.
“Globally, creative industries are estimated to account for more than 7% of the world’s GDP and the annual growth of the creative industries is twice that of the service industries and four times that of the manufacturing industries," explained Detroit Renaissance President, Doug Rothwell.
“We all know that we have a breadth of creative assets here in our region and this effort will not only build on these assets but allow us to let the rest of the world know this is a great place to locate a creative business, source creative work or reside if you’re a creative worker," Rothwell said.
The brand “Detroit Make It Here” was designed by a team of creative professionals led by Birmingham-based Clear Blue.
“Detroit is an open canvas, with space available to try things, to start things, to create,” said Clear Blue’s Chip Humitz. “The raw grittiness, the vast landscape, the cultural and historical diversity create the fodder and inspiration that creative minds and companies thrive on."
Powered by Crain Communications, the new Web site at www.detroitmakeithere.com features a creative asset inventory and map, company profiles, news regarding the creative economy and events and information targeted to the creative sector.
Other aspects of the initiative where progress was outlined included:
Developing a Creative Corridor on Woodward Avenue that acts as a platform and catalyst to, among other things, attract and retain talent, stimulate creative community output, and increase the presence of creative industries in Detroit and the region
Establishing a Creative Business Accelerator within the Creative Corridor
Developing a business attraction strategy to increase the density of creative economy enterprises in the Corridor
Five year goals for the Creative Corridor include:
- 50-100 new businesses
- 800-1200 new jobs
- 10% annual increase of new investment dollars
- 10% total property appraisals increase
- Recognition of the region as a creative community
“This is a “living” initiative. What we outlined today represents the work of many organizations. But we fully expect the plan will evolve and expand as more get involved,” said Rothwell.
For more details about the initiative, click here.
More more about Detroit Renaissance, visit www.detroitrenaissance.com. |
