The Detroit Future City (DFC) Strategic Framework Plan was born out of the early work from the Detroit Works Project under Mayor Dave Bing. The effort shifted when the Kresge Foundation and Mayor Bing had differences of opinion.

The resulting 184 page report became a controversial, yet seminal planning document put together by various external consulting agencies. Critics railed against the report for its perceived right-sizing or as critics put it “white-sizing” the majority Black city. Community engagement was led by the Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) which used innovative methods to reach people and produced an accompanying 335 page appendix of all the community engagement efforts.