Detroit leads downtown "Stickiness Score" rankings
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Detroit has the "stickiest" downtown of the 30-plus U.S. cities included in a new Gensler Research Institute report.
- That's a combined measure of how often people say they visit a place, and how long they say they stay there.
Why it matters: The Gensler City Pulse 2026 findings reflect the Motor City's recent success at drawing residents downtown.
- New arenas and event venues (like Cosm Detroit), a hotel boom, and even a campaign for better lighting to boost safety are all helping the city rewrite its outdated reputation.
What they're saying: "Detroit has had an amazing convergence in the last five to seven years of all of our professional teams, our cultural activities, as well as a dramatic increase in food and beverage offerings, all within a very concentrated core district," Antoine Bryant, managing director of Gensler's Detroit office, tells Axios.
- "There's been a very distinct effort to reinvest in our sidewalk infrastructure, in our vegetation, and in lighting, so people feel safe, people have access, and they have a variety of things to do for a variety of demographics."
Stunning stat: Detroit also nabbed top honors for most enjoyable U.S. city to walk around in, adds Sofia Song, global leader of cities research at Gensler's Research Institute.
The big picture: Among all cities included in the report, Gensler found that fewer than half of residents visit their central business district weekly, while less than a third spend recreational time there.
- Part of that is structural, the report says: "Comfort deficits (shade, seating, restrooms), safety concerns, and poor mobility act as barriers, even where residents rate their downtown highly."
The other side: Phoenix came in dead last among the included U.S. cities — perhaps not a surprise, given its relatively poor walkability and often-hostile heat.
How it works: The design, architecture and urban planning firm's research wing gathered feedback from 35,000 residents of 75 cities worldwide via an online survey conducted from July 8 to Nov. 4, 2025.
