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The Livernois McNichols Neighborhoods Action Agenda is a community-informed framework developed to guide the next 5-10 years of investment in five neighborhoods in Northwest Detroit: Bagley, Fitzgerald, University District, Martin Park and Pilgrim Village. It builds on more than a decade of past planning and engagement, and prioritizes what long-term residents have said they want for their neighborhoods. The process is being facilitated by The Kresge Foundation, the Live6 Alliance, and Marygrove Conservancy with support from the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, urbanAC, IFF and HR&A.
Rooted in residents’ knowledge and input, the LMNAA builds on the assets of Livernois McNichols — place, institutional, cultural and people — channeling the momentum of years of planning and investment into a shared vision where residents, businesses and institutions can stay, belong and thrive.
Comprehensive research about the neighborhoods was paired with an analysis of prior planning conversations over the past 15 years.
Neighborhood representatives studied the data. Using their lived experience, they defined a shared vision, values and goals for the area.
Action Agenda summits produced recommendations for future neighborhood investments that prioritize residents.
A theory of change is a conceptual road map to impact. This diagram illustrates ours.
Thriving Youth: Strategies that build youth voice and leadership, make daily youth movement safe and dignified, and create the public spaces and programs where young people gather, play, learn, and get care.
Thriving Homes + Residents: Strategies that support residents who have stayed to remain in their homes, expand quality housing for legacy and new residents, and reduce the cost and climate burden of homeownership and tenancy.
Thriving Corridors + Businesses: Strategies that activate and improve McNichols, Wyoming, and Livernois as commercial corridors, support legacy businesses to remain and thrive, and attract aligned new businesses that strengthen the neighborhood economy.
Thriving Culture + Heritage: Strategies that elevate and sustain the history and cultural life, stories and identity of the neighborhood.
Thriving Community Capacity: Strategies that build the structures, vehicles and partnerships through which the work persists.
Thriving Wellbeing: Strategies that strengthen the health, safety and ecologically resilience of residents and the neighborhood.
Please see the Executive Summary for full details.
The Action Agenda focuses on five neighborhoods we call Investment Zones. In each one, we’re putting several kinds of support to work at once, on three timelines: what we can do in the next year, what we can build over one to five years, and what will take longer than five years.
The goal is simple: help people and places stay put and grow stronger. That means helping families stay in their homes, helping local businesses stay open, helping residents own more of their community, and helping the organizations and programs people rely on stick around for the long haul.
This one-stop shop helps with home repairs, legal issues with inherited homes and property taxes. It’s open to College Core residents now and will expand to Fitzgerald and other neighborhoods.
Programming at parks across the community ensures children, youth, and families have safe spaces to play and connect this summer. The work is supported through an expanded partnership with the Detroit Parks Coalition.
In spring 2026, Live6 Alliance awarded one-time operating grants to support resident engagement and community-led projects at 10 legacy volunteer-led neighborhood associations.
The newest round of KIP:D+ provides implementation grants to community organizations working on cultural heritage projects.
Live6 Alliance, in partnership with the Detroit Land Bank, The Greening of Detroit and the Green Co., is mowing, landscaping and removing trash from more than 60 vacant parcels in the Fitzgerald neighborhood.
The Action Agenda names what is needed, who will lead, and what additional engagement and investment is required for specific projects. Community members may get involved by:
A form for feedback about the Livernois McNichols Action Agenda
In September 2025, The Kresge Foundation announced its plans to relocate its offices from Troy to the Marygrove Conservancy campus and deepen its investment in the neighborhoods around Livernois and McNichols. The move builds on Kresge’s longtime investments in the Marygrove campus, local neighborhoods, and recent community-led planning efforts. The renewed commitment from Kresge includes three deliberate efforts: – co-developing an Action Agenda for the Livernois-McNichols neighborhoods – improvements to the Marygrove Conservancy campus, and – the construction of Kresge’s new workspace
The Action Agenda was developed as a long-term … in response to neighborhood stakeholder priorities. Future project investment decisions will be guided by the Action Agenda participants, Kresge partners and resident leaders.
Through specific programming recommended by the Action Agenda process, various supports are being offered through the Resident Investment Opportunity Fund, which provides residents with a single point of entry to resources for home repair, heirs property legal assistance, and property tax relief.
The Resident Investment Opportunity Fund (RIOF) launched in June 2026. The RIOF provides one-stop intake and resources to help residents access resources to acquire and steward vacant land, activate side lots, and obtain assistance for property tax relief and home repairs.
Over the next 1 to 2 years, Kresge will launch grant programs that support community projects based on the recommendations in the Action Agenda. Sign up for updates at kresge.org. However, additional funding pathways for new projects that fall under the Action Agenda strategies may be considered after the Agenda is published and initial strategies that address community needs are underway by the convening partners.
Community engagement was designed to complement existing community efforts, not duplicate them. Participation should translate into work residents can actually see and feel. Community members may get involved by:
The recommendations from the Action Agenda have many layers to ensure the community thrives. In addition to supporting homeowners, the Action Agenda also includes other priorities such as:
The consultant team reviewed past planning and engagement processes in the area, studied existing conditions and analyzed data related to education and youth, housing, retail and businesses, wellbeing, sustainability, and arts and culture. The research was compiled into three data briefing books:
Authentic community engagement processes prioritize community input and bring local stakeholders to the table to lead decision-making. The Action Agenda work was co-designed with community from the start. Community representatives, business owners, resident leaders, youth, artists and developers were brought together to form Action Working Groups (AWG). The AWGs, each consisting of 30-40 stakeholders, met to study and discuss the data briefing decks. Using their lived experience, they defined a shared vision, values and goals related to their respective topic: youth and education, residential and commercial development, arts and culture, public realm, wellbeing and sustainability. Synthesis slide decks outlining what we heard during each summit are available above.
Engagement to date has included:
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