On Jan. 10, the Detroit Regional Chamber held the 2023 Detroit Policy Conference with a focus on the next phase of downtown Detroit’s resurgence and the actions needed to continue its momentum.

The Kresge-sponsored panel ‘Detroit’s First Word: Equitable Property Tax Reform for Detroiters‘ examined a split-rate property tax proposal that taxes land at a higher rate than buildings. A recent Kresge-funded study by the nonprofit Lincoln Institute of Land Policy found that reforming Detroit’s property tax system by taxing land at a higher rate than buildings would help to revive the local economy and reduce tax bills for nearly every homeowner.

Luke Polcyn from the Detroit Mayor’s office moderated the panel that featured: Nick Allen, MIT Ph.D. candidate and taxation expert; Anika Goss, CEO of Detroit Future City; Roderick Hardamon, CEO of URGE Development Group and URGE Imprint.