Chinatown Streetscape PROJECT

The Chinatown Streetscape Project is a community-driven effort to honor, restore, and reimagine the legacy of Detroit’s historic Chinatown in Midtown’s South Cass Corridor.

Detroit’s original Chinatown, once a vibrant cultural and social hub along Third Street and Michigan Avenue, was displaced in the 1950s. In the early 1960s, Chinatown reemerged at Cass Avenue and Peterboro Street, where it thrived for decades as a center of Asian American life, home to businesses, organizations, and gathering spaces that shaped the neighborhood’s identity. 

Today, there is renewed momentum to recognize and reinvest in Detroit’s Chinatown. This project represents an opportunity not only to improve infrastructure, but to acknowledge this history, preserve cultural identity, and reestablish Chinatown as a visible and celebrated part of Midtown. 

The project envisions a revitalized Peterboro corridor that reflects the neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage while creating a welcoming, inclusive destination for all. Planned improvements include widened sidewalks, enhanced accessibility, decorative lighting, landscaping, public art, and spaces designed to support local businesses and community activity.

Design concepts were shared at the 2025 Detroit Chinatown Block Party, where community feedback directly informed the final plan. The project is now moving from planning into implementation, with final concepts completed and the next phase focused on construction and funding. As this work advances, Midtown Detroit, Inc. and its partners remain committed to ensuring that the future of Chinatown is shaped by the community and honors the legacy of those who built it.

To learn more, explore plans, and find ways to get involved, please review the Chinatown Streetscape Project booklet below.