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Detroit Moves Celebrates What’s Ahead for Annual Mobility Festival

July 29, 2019
Detroit Moves gathered the automotive community on Thursday, July 25, for an evening of networking and discussion on the future of the annual mobility festival. Over the course of the evening, attendees heard from MICHauto’s Glenn Stevens, PlanetM’s Seun Phillips, and a host of other mobility leaders, about not only Detroit Moves’ future, but that of the mobility landscape in Detroit.

The event focused on Detroit Moves’ recently announced change to June 2020, to align with the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Tavi Fulkerson, president of The Fulkerson Group, shared a NAIAS preview, highlighting the show’s expanded footprint throughout downtown Detroit and new and improved activations. Fulkerson noted the 24 outdoor activations that will span the Cobo Center campus and parks throughout the city as well as changes coming to the Charity Preview, NAIAS’ annual fundraising gala, to make it accessible to broader, more diverse audiences.

A panel moderated by CoMotion’s Greg Lindsay and featuring Detroit Councilman Scott Benson, New Economy Initiative’s Maria LaLonde, Bosch’s Kevin Mull, and Michigan Mobility Institute’s Jessica Robinson, tackled the impact of mobility on communities.

Key takeaways:

  • Creating access for all citizens is essential to a thriving economy. “Everyone deserves quality transit options in the city of Detroit,” Benson said.
  • Beyond automotive, different infrastructure — like bike lanes — will need to become part of the region’s mobility culture as they provide low-cost ways to navigate the city without a car.
  • As autonomous vehicle technology becomes more mainstream, it will be crucial to establish consumers’ trust in the combination of government and industry to create safe, reliable products and systems.
  • The only way to establish successful mobility is to get to know the users and account for their needs in the technology and infrastructure being developed.
  • This year’s NAIAS will be “Detroit’s moment to show the world its leadership in mobility,” Robinson said. It will be unique in its ability for visitors to test products and technologies in their real-world, intended environments.