Circling the Reality of Public Institutions: An e-Delphi Study of Information, Culture, and Community Stakeholders Voicing the Way Forward in Detroit, Michigan

Abstract

Abstract Information, culture, and memory centers are increasingly anchored to urban redevelopment projects within historically marginalized communities challenged by contemporary social and economic disparity. This paper situated libraries, archives, and museums within a sociocultural context to examine the role of cultural heritage institutions in gentrification. Librarians, archivists, curators, and community advocates in Detroit, Michigan shared their viewpoints and experiences of gentrification. Using a modified Delphi process, respondents explored the need for policy, service delivery, and programming assessment in a city of color at-risk to gentrification-induced displacement. This mixed research study was implemented using a concurrent triangulation design. A three-round e-Delphi survey (round one: n = 32; round two: n = 31; round three: n = 30) was conducted from May 2017 to August 2017. A panel of experts was selected composed of information, culture, and community workers who practiced: (a) at an anchor institution; (b) in a neighborhood undergoing gentrification; or (c) with community members seeking to stay put in transitioning neighborhoods. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using inductive analysis and descriptive statistics. A nonparametric statistical test, Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W), measured the extent of agreement among the e-Delphi panelists’ rankings of issues and recommendations (identified by the panel members) regarding the role of cultural heritage institutions in gentrification and displacement. Thirty panel members (93%) in the first round of the survey indicated that it was important for cultural heritage institutions to assess if revitalization partnerships contributed to gentrification-induced displacement. The panel generated 25 propositions in the second round of survey, which they ranked in the third and final round of the survey. Kendall’s W for the rank ordering of the five most important issues (W = 0.008; X2 = 15.815; df = 6; p = 0.015) and ten most important recommendations (W = 0.050; X2 = 24.467; df = 17; p = 0.085) indicated a very weak level of agreement. The implication of this finding suggested a need for further exploration. This study adds to the global investigation on the role of cultural heritage institutions in gentrification and displacement and contributes to an emerging body of knowledge in cultural heritage informatics in the U.S.