Fighting Blight with AI: How City Detect is Helping Cities Build Safer, Cleaner Communities

Every city struggles with blight, from illegal dumping and overgrown lots to graffiti and neglected properties. These issues not only strain local governments but also impact how residents feel about their neighborhoods. City Detect, an Alabama-based startup, is tackling the problem head-on with the power of artificial intelligence.

Founded by Dr. Erik Johnson and Gavin Baum-Blake, City Detect equips city vehicles like trash trucks and street sweepers with mounted cameras, then applies computer vision and machine learning to spot blight in real time. Municipalities receive actionable data that helps them stretch resources, respond faster, and create cleaner, safer neighborhoods.

Since launching in 2021, City Detect has raised $15 million, expanded to at least 17 cities and works with local governments in metro areas like Dallas and Miami. Today, the company’s fully remote workforce spans the U.S., but its roots — and headquarters — remain firmly planted in Alabama.

“We made our way here by chance, but it turned out to be the perfect place to build,” Baum-Blake says. “Alabama is one of the most underappreciated states. It’s gorgeous, affordable, and the people are incredible. Plus, being near the University of Alabama has been a talent pipeline — a third of our team are UA grads.”

City Detect’s journey accelerated in fall 2021, when the company joined the gBETA Bronze Valley program powered by gener8tor. The experience provided honest feedback, invaluable mentorship, and City Detect’s first institutional backer. It also connected Baum-Blake with some of the most influential mentors of his career. Today, as a gener8tor alum, he’s come full circle, mentoring other founders who are just starting their journeys.

For Baum-Blake, the lesson has been clear: building strong relationships and focusing on measurable impact opens doors. “Government partnerships don’t happen overnight,” he says. “But when you focus on trust, the opportunities are limitless.”

Looking ahead, City Detect is continuing to expand its work with municipalities nationwide. Its mission remains simple but ambitious — to give every city the tools they need to fight blight and make communities stronger, cleaner, and safer.