About Us:

Urban Neighborhood Initiatives is a nonprofit organization rooted in Southwest Detroit. We work within the community to be able to create a safe and thriving environment where people want to live, work and play. UNI is based in the Springwells area of Southwest Detroit, a 1.3 square mile neighborhood bounded by Fort, Dix and Waterman Streets.

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How We Came to Be:

Urban Neighborhood Initiatives was founded in 1997 originally under the name of, “Neighborhood Centers Incorporated”. During this time, the Southwest neighborhood was dealing with high levels of crime with limited beneficial opportunities for youth. All Saints Neighborhood Church transformed into All Saints Neighborhood Center while also converting 8 vacant lots into what is now Springdale Green Playlot. We were able to make the Springdale Green Playlot a reality with the involvement of community 

​UNI aims to make the community a better place for the residents, we do this by offering great opportunities to the youth and their families. We currently focus on 3 different areas of work:  Youth Development, Education and Land Use & Economic Development.

Our Vision:

​We believe every neighborhood should be a healthy and safe place to live. To maximize our impact, we concentrate on a specific neighborhood at a time to develop a plan that meets the community’s needs.
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