live. work. play. give. lead.

these are the fundamentals of challenge detroit. our mission, our creed. as fellows, we are deeply immersed in each one of these pillars of the program. it’s interesting to think about the fact that each of these is an action, an assertion, the assumption of a role in the context of our new city.

but what about observation? what about the common adage “people shape their places and places shape their people”? in fact (fun fact), my instagram and tumblr handle translates from french to mean observer and much more connotatively to indicate the individual who wanders within his/her particular milieu, passionately taking in the activity of the people and the built environment.

i like to think of myself as this individual. walking in downtown detroit, i take a deep breath and internalize the moments when i see an empty building that’s become a canvas for magnificent street art. or a scraggly man collecting cans while out-of-towners flock to ford field. or pigeons and sparrows vying for a pizza crust. or the instant when the fountains at campus martius burst skyward. when the motorist sees you in the crosswalk, smiles, and waves you across. when that scraggly man meets your eye, nods, and says hello.

i love this city and the unique character in everything it has to offer. indeed i love all cities, but detroit is at once as vast and formidable as any large city yet as small-scale and inclusive as any small town. as much as i strive to establish my place here as an inhabitant, employee, participant, altruist, and advocate, i also cherish observing and absorbing. je suis vraiment une flaneuse.