Urban Landscape
in Transition
Using Detroit as a Living Classroom for Socio-Ecological Imagination
In September 2025, Brightside co-created and co-hosted Urban Landscape in Transition, a three-day hands-on workshop during Detroit Month of Design in partnership with Swissnex, EPFL’s Laboratory of Urbanism, the College for Creative Studies, and Michigan Central.
The workshop invited participants to use Detroit itself - its openness, land, complexity, histories, and sense of possibility - as a space for exploring new relationships between people, nature, and urban transformation.
Over three days, participants reflected, observed, documented, and critically engaged with how landscapes can help shape more inclusive, resilient, and life-supporting urban futures.
Location
2050 15th St,
Detroit, MI 48216
Partners
Swissnex
EPFL
College for Creative Studies
Michigan Central
Timeframe
September 2025
Brightside’s Role
Program Development
Partnership Building
Workshop Facilitation
Event Production
Project Focus
Urban Ecology
Civic Engagement
Design Research
Public Learning
100+
Public Event Attendees
3
Days of Programming
5
Partner Organizations Convened
25+
Workshop Participants
The workshop brought together more than 25 participants for a hands-on exploration of Detroit’s changing landscapes. It also included a public evening discussion, Reimagining Urban Futures Through Detroit’s Landscape, featuring thought leaders from EPFL, Harvard University, Detroit Future City, Design Core, and local partners. The public event drew a packed house of more than 100 attendees.
What Changed:
3-day hands-on workshop hosted during Detroit Month of Design
25+ workshop participants engaged
100+ public event attendees
Cross-sector partnership between Swissnex, EPFL, Brightside, CCS, and Michigan Central
Detroit positioned as a living classroom for socio-ecological transformation
New conversations sparked around land, landscape, resilience, and urban possibility
Why It Matters
Urban Landscape in Transition shows how Brightside works in the realm of ideas - not as abstraction, but as a way to make transformation more visible, shared, and actionable. By bringing global design and urbanism perspectives into conversation with Detroit’s land, history, and local expertise, the workshop helped reframe vacant, transitional, and overlooked landscapes as sites of imagination and future-making.
This is part of Brightside’s deeper work: helping people see the city differently so they can participate in shaping it differently.
What Happened
The workshop brought together more than 25 participants for a hands-on exploration of Detroit’s changing landscapes.
Signals of Impact
Detroit as a Living Classroom
Participants used Detroit's landscapes, histories, and open spaces as a site for exploring new relationships between people, nature, and urban transformation.
New Conversations Sparked
The workshop and public discussion created new dialogue around land, resilience, landscape, and the future of cities.
Cross-Sector Collaboration
Swissnex, EPFL, Brightside, CCS, Michigan Central, and local practitioners came together to exchange ideas and perspectives across disciplines.