Detroit's Planning and Development Department won the 2025 National Planning Excellence Award from the American Planning Association for the Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Planning Study, which connects 23 neighborhoods along a nearly 30-mile corridor and promotes housing stability and economic growth. The planning process included over 40 public meetings, 200 stakeholder discussions, and a Community Leadership Team of residents, advocates, and business leaders, according to the City of Detroit.
Alexa Bush celebrated the win, saying, "This recognition affirms Detroit’s commitment to ensuring that every major public investment—like the Joe Louis Greenway—is designed to strengthen neighborhoods, create opportunity, and celebrate the people who live here." The plan also produced five neighborhood area playbooks and identified 10 Greenway Opportunity Areas to guide strategic investments in housing, streetscapes, and community gateways, as reported by the City of Detroit.
Detroit opened a new 2-mile greenway extension with a ribbon-cutting event that included a bronze statue of boxing legend Joe Louis. Mayor Mike Duggan and community members attended. The project and its planners will be recognized next spring at the APA National Planning Conference, as stated by the City of Detroit.
