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Detroit's Open Commons

Detroit builds in the open.

A shared space where creators come together to connect, collaborate, and build. It's a public commons designed to empower Detroit's community by aligning scattered efforts, breaking down silos, and amplifying collective impact.

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Mission

To create and maintain an open commons that empowers Detroit's communities to:

  • Collaborate transparently
  • Share resources and knowledge
  • Build projects together
  • Uplift one another through shared goals and values
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Principles

  • Openness – Contributions are visible, remixable, and free to build upon
  • Transparency – Decisions, processes, and resources are documented in public
  • Collaboration – Projects overlap and strengthen one another
  • Accessibility – The commons is inclusive and easy to join
  • Shared Stewardship – Community collectively maintains and evolves the commons
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Why Detroit?

Detroit is full of creative and technical energy. But efforts are often scattered, resources siloed, and opportunities missed. The Open Commons provides a common ground for Detroit's builders and creators — starting here, replicable anywhere.

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What Lives in the Commons?

  • Open projects (code, data, docs, designs)
  • Community knowledge (guides, learnings, toolkits)
  • Collaboration protocols (shared ways to work, govern, and share credit)
  • Transparency tools (dashboards, open ledgers, participation records)

🚀 How to Get Involved

Open October is upon us! Join Detroit's month-long open source build cycle. Submit your project, collaborate with builders, and help strengthen our open commons.

Learn more about Open October
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Long-Term Vision

We are building the first node of Detroit's Open Commons, a decentralized, community-owned network of digital commons. The goal is to create a replicable model — so any community, anywhere, can establish their own Open Commons to support collaboration and shared ownership.

Explore the Commons

🗺️ RoadmapMeet the BuildersActive ProjectsOpen October