Detroit's CBO: Transformative Developments and Inclusive Community Benefits

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Like many U.S. cities, Detroit's revitalization has raised concerns about equitable, inclusive development. In 2016, as a result of community advocacy, Detroiters adopted the nation's first big-city Community Benefits Ordinance (CBO). The CBO created a process by which developers engage with residents to identify project impacts and negotiate mitigations and community benefits for large-scale developments. The CBO seeks to ensure that affected residents have a seat at the table during negotiations with developers.

Most of Detroit's significant development projects of the last decade have participated in the CBO process, leading to both transformative development and inclusive outcomes. See some of these impressive projects and how they are changing Detroit. Learn about the CBO process and the community benefits that were negotiated with local residents. Neighborhood advisory council members, developers, and city planners speak about the challenges and opportunities these projects represent and how they collaborated and negotiated to achieve more inclusive outcomes.

Detroit's CBO provides a unique model that puts local residents at the negotiating table with developers. Through an inclusive public process, residents serving on a development's neighborhood advisory council can advocate for their community and negotiate for equitable outcomes and benefits.