Matt was chosen out of 700 applicants to work with Challenge Detroit on a variety of urban revitalization projects. Most recently Matt reports working with a  community art initiative through the U of D architecture school, to bring community art into the dilapidated landscape of Lindale Gardens (a neighborhood in Detroit that borders John R and the State Fairgrounds).  He writes: "We converted an empty lot into a community art space equipped with a functioning stage, a garden, and a large mural across the back end of the adjacent building.  The culmination of these efforts was a community barbeque that Challenge Detroit organized for the community members of Lindale Gardens. There was food, music, but most importantly, the barbeque acted as a jumping off point for Detroiters to break down their barriers and begin working together to create a more lively and unified community."