What Detroit residents said in the city’s Rise Higher survey

Detroit residents gave City Hall a clear list of what they want fixed first. In the city’s Rise Higher survey and community framework, more than 8,000 people from all 39 Detroit ZIP codes pointed to safer neighborhoods, better housing conditions, reliable transit, stronger youth supports, better job access, and easier-to-use city services.

The City of Detroit released the survey results and framework in June 2026, after outreach that included an online and paper survey in English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, and French, plus five community conversations. City officials and local media said the goal was to turn that input into a resident-driven guide for priorities.

What Detroiters said matters most

The city grouped the feedback into six broad priorities: thriving neighborhoods; safe and just communities; reliable transportation and sustainable infrastructure; equitable economic and workforce development; robust education and youth opportunities; and open, accessible government.

In plain terms, that points to neighborhood safety, housing and upkeep, bus reliability, job training, youth programming, and city services that are easier to navigate.

What the framework is — and is not

Detroit describes Rise Higher as a planning framework, not a vote or referendum. It is meant to help shape priorities, budgeting, and city programs, but it does not by itself approve funding or commit the city to every item residents named.

That distinction matters. The survey shows what residents want City Hall to emphasize. The next question is what actually shows up in budgets, staffing, transit work, housing efforts, and service changes.

What to watch next

For renters, homeowners, parents, commuters, and business owners, the practical question is whether the city’s next decisions match the survey’s priorities. If Rise Higher has real influence, residents should see it in housing policy, neighborhood services, transit reliability, youth programs, workforce efforts, and the way city departments answer requests.

For now, the message from Detroiters is simple: make neighborhoods safer, make services work better, and make the city easier to live, work, and raise a family in.

Sources

• City of Detroit — Rise Higher survey results release
• WDIV ClickOnDetroit — Detroit mayor outlines priorities after community survey
• WJR — Detroiters respond to mayor’s quality-of-life survey