A recent DIA Student Design Competition gave student teams the challenge of increasing connectivity in the DIA Plaza, a single square mile surrounding the Detroit Institute of Arts and twelve other institutions.  Museum leaders and stakeholders felt the need for such a competition due to the lack of cohesiveness in this particular area which often saw patrons visiting only one institution and departing the area.  

An assignment in Associate Professor Richard Smith's SW 8075 Community Theory and Practice class required social work students Victoria Williamson, Mariah Bosquez, Jessica Stroble, and Krupa Vora to get involved in a community initiative with a local nonprofit organization.  The aforementioned group was linked to other Wayne State students, with backgrounds in communication, urban planning, engineering, photography, and marketing and design, to form the 51Eighty team. Through brainstorming, collaboration, random surveys, informal interviews, observation, and research, the multidisciplinary team developed a proposal that sought to not only increase connectivity and accessibility, but also engage the community in a creative way. 51Eighty proposed a Wonder Plaza, complete with more placemaking tactics, smarter streets, hidden design elements, new branding, an addition of an amphitheater, and relocation of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. 51Eighty believed these concepts would allow this cultural district to be more efficient, inclusive, and interactive, providing a space for all to wonder and explore while bridging the gap between our institutions and individuals. After diligent thought and hard work, 51Eighty created a three-minute video of their concept and beat out 22 other teams to win the main Cultural District Jury award and the People's Choice award. Read more