Redevelopment Ready Communities

Redevelopment Ready Communities® (RRC) is a voluntary technical assistance initiative offered through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) which empowers communities to shape their future by building a foundation of planning, zoning, and economic development best practices and integrating them into their everyday functions. The City of Southfield is proud to be certified community from the inception of the program. Southfield continues to improve their planning, zoning, and economic development practices. Regularly reviewing procedures and processes is crucial for ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in serving both businesses and residents. 

Southfield is committed to continuously enhancing its efforts to provide the best services possible. By integrating best practices into everyday functions, Southfield not only benefits its current residents and businesses but also sets a strong foundation for future growth and development. Our proactive approach to community development is essential for fostering a vibrant and sustainable city.

Redevelopment Ready Communities® 
Economic Development Strategic Plan Overview

Southfield continues to play a vital role in supporting the State of Michigan’s economy. With over 27,000,000 square feet of office space, second in size only to Detroit's central business district, leaders from an array of industries have selected Southfield to house their global and North American headquarters. Companies like Veoneer, ThyssenKrupp, Marelli, Denso, Peterson Spring, Tenneco, Lear, S&P Global, International Automotive Components, and Stefanini have determined that Southfield offers a diverse and skilled workforce, a low cost of doing business, and access to an innovative research university, Lawrence Technological University. Lawrence Tech is known for its “Theory and Practice” approach, taking abstract ideas into the real world to solve tomorrow’s problems. Automotive suppliers to software developers locate in Southfield to tap into the talent found within the City Centre District.
As the “Center of It All” in Southeastern MI, Southfield has a strategic advantage to draw companies to consolidate and expand. Our access to highways, exceptional public services, strong fiber optic network, and affordable cost of living create a stable business environment. Our business community is an integral part of the fabric of Southfield.
Supporting the reinvestment in our people and property within the city is a necessity. As Southfield’s population, infrastructure, and commercial and retail inventory age, we have experienced a steady loss of tax base and an increase in vacancy. The COVID pandemic exacerbated the vacancy of commercial and retail properties. During the onset of the pandemic, the City of Southfield continued investing in and supporting residents and redeveloping property. We are beginning to see an uptick. The entrepreneurial spirit is thriving, and new developments and repositioning of older properties are happening. This signifies a positive economic shift.
For comprehensive information regarding the present economic development landscape, including existing programs and initiatives supporting our economic foundation, spanning from home-based entrepreneurs to global enterprises, along with our targeted sectors, significant trends and challenges, and our established goals, objectives, and strategies, please to refer to Chapter 5: Economic Development within the Sustainable Southfield Master Plan 2023 -2028. This chapter serves as a valuable resource offering insights into the economic vitality of our community and outlines the strategies and actions planned to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity.

Southfield Comprehensive Master Plan

Redevelopment Ready Communities® 
Local Economic Development Tools and Application Materials

Redevelopment Ready Communities® 
Marketing Plan – use City of Southfield’s materials

  • The marketing plan conducts an inventory of existing assets, including visual, online, and physical resources.
  • The marketing plan defines specific goals, strategies and tactics to attract businesses and investment including audiences, messaging, and primary delivery methods.
  • The marketing plan identifies approaches to market priority development sites.
  • The marketing plan aligns marketing efforts with local, regional and state partners.
  • The marketing plan identifies core branding elements that provide a consistent community image including: tagline; simple logo(s); primary color palette; primary typefaces; and a collection of community photos.