News Article

February 8, 2016 [DETROIT] - The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is reaching out to Metro Detroiters through community meetings and an online survey this month to gather information that will be used to develop a five-year strategic plan to shape the future of the Detroit Riverfront.

The ambitious outreach initiative is the latest example of the Conservancy’s efforts to ask the public what they want to see along the riverfront. The survey is designed to not only determine how respondents use the riverfront and what amenities bring them to it, but also to capture their thoughts and ideas of what the riverfront could become in the future. The survey consists of 20 demographic, multiple-choice and open-ended questions.

Throughout the next several weeks, City of Detroit residents will have numerous opportunities to take the survey and to have their voices heard on what they would like to see along the riverfront. The Conservancy is working closely with City of Detroit Council Members and Neighborhood District Managers in each of the City’s seven districts to share the survey with residents at upcoming district and precinct meetings. For a list of meetings, please click here.

Residents in the City and those throughout the entire Metro Detroit region with an interest in the riverfront’s future can take the survey by clicking the link below. The survey will be available online through February 25.

This month, Conservancy volunteers are surveying guests attending the Meridian Winter Blast in downtown Detroit, February 12-14, and at City of Detroit recreation centers. Additionally, community leaders with expertise in business, hospitality, the environment and other disciplines are leading a series of focus groups for the Conservancy. In January, more than 1,500 surveys were completed at the North American International Auto Show, the GM Ren Cen, and at several other locations.

 “We place tremendous value on the input we receive from the public,” said Mark Wallace, president & CEO of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy. “Some of our most popular attractions along the riverfront came from ideas submitted by the general public over the years. We’re excited to get this feedback and determine how we can use it to make the riverfront an even more special destination for people.”