Detroit Month of Design at Michigan Central
Back to All EventsThis September, Michigan Central celebrated Detroit Month of Design with a dynamic lineup of programming that embodied our mission as a tech and cultural hub. We cultivated an open-platform ecosystem where leaders, thinkers, communities, and creators converged to accelerate bold new solutions shaping our collective future. These events were more than just discussions; they became active collaborations and hands-on explorations. We invited the community to discover unique workshops, talks, and opportunities—and together, we began building what’s next.
Swissnex
Workshop: Urban Landscape in Transition
Location: Newlab Detroit, 2050 15th St, Detroit, MI 48216
A three-day intensive workshop that invited local students to reflect, document, and critically engage with the future of the city through its landscapes.
Discussion: Reimagining Urban Futures Through Detroit’s Landscape
Location: Newlab Detroit, 2050 15th St, Detroit, MI 48216
As part of the Urban Landscape in Transition Workshop, this public discussion brought together internationally renowned architects, urbanists, and researchers Paola Viganò (EPFL-LAB U) and Charles Waldheim (Harvard GSD) to explore the urban landscape’s possibilities and challenges within the context of socio-ecological transformation.
rootoftwo
463NCY: Playtesting the Future City
Workshop Dates & Times: September 6 – September 26, 2025
Location: Newlab at Michigan Central, 2050 15th St., Detroit, MI 48216
Attendees helped shape the next iteration of a fast-paced, cooperative tabletop game that explores digital rights, data ethics, and the future of cities. In this game, set in a near-future where privacy is a commodity, players become cybernetically enhanced residents working together to disrupt surveillance networks.
Michigan Central Art
Futures in Formation: Designing the Imaginative City
Date & Time: Friday, September 19, 2025 | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: The Station, Detroit
Hosted by Michigan Central Art in collaboration with Design Core Detroit, this daylong forum explored how design, shaped by migration and cultural exchange, reimagines civic engagement. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Detroit’s UNESCO City of Design designation, the event featured insights from global and local artists, designers, and thinkers. The forum translates expansive ideas into tangible opportunities for Detroit’s communities, charting how community-centered approaches can shape visionary futures for the city.
rootoftwo
Collective Resistance and Civic Imagination Through Tabletop Play
Date & Time: September 27, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Newlab at Michigan Central, 2050 15th St, Detroit, MI 48216
Attendees explored how analog, social, and cooperative games can become powerful tools for civic engagement, systems literacy, and collective resistance. Moderated by rootoftwo this panel brought together artists and designers to discuss how tabletop formats can raise critical questions about urban governance, mobility, AI, and democracy. The conversation examined why tabletop games are particularly effective at modeling complex systems and fostering empathy in public policy contexts.