Caitlin Murphy is Leading Neighborhood Development without Displacement

A commercial corridor in Detroit went from 10% occupancy to a thriving neighborhood hub–and they’re just getting started. In this episode, co-hosts Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennett talk to Caitlin Murphy about how one Northwest Detroit alliance is building opportunity block by block.

Our Detroit arc continues with the long-term work of corridor revitalization. Murphy and Live6's work demonstrates that building neighborhood opportunity requires coordinated action across multiple fronts simultaneously — and that the work moves "at the speed of trust" with residents leading the way. This episode reveals that neighborhood revitalization isn't about attracting outsiders; it's about creating conditions where current residents can stay, thrive, and build wealth.

They discuss:

*Ways they are lowering barriers to business ownership and incubating new neighborhood businesses 

*How they help residents living in homes with “tangled titles” sort out the paperwork and start receiving the benefits of home ownership

*What their recent Michigan Main Street designation means for the corridor 

*And why Live6 intentionally staffs its organization with longtime neighborhood residents

Learn more:

About Kresge: https://kresge.org/pathbreakers-podcast/

About Live6 Alliance: https://www.live6detroit.org/

This episode is part of the Detroit arc of PathBreakers Season 2, “Building Neighborhoods of Opportunity.” The arc explores how Detroit neighborhoods are forging their own pathways to opportunity — through information access, place-based economic revitalization and community organizing. 

Stay tuned for our finale episode of the Detroit city series featuring Simone Sagovac of the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition. In that episode Tracey,Jamie , and Simone discuss how the Coalition secured community benefits from a $6 billion international bridge that opens in the neighborhood this year.

And then in July we launch our second city series all about Memphis, Tennessee, and what it takes to build a city where families can thrive for generations.

CREDITS:

Hosts: Tracey Pearson and Jamie Bennett

Producer: Juliet Hinely

Managing Editor: Krista Jahnke

Show Art: Alejandro Herrera

PathBreakers is produced by the Kresge Foundation, founded in 1924 with a mission to promote human progress.