Michigan

Big Piece of Detroit's 'Inner Circle Greenway' Falls Into Place
Detroit will spend $4.3 million to buy land along the Detroit Terminal Railroad for the purposes of creating a 7.5-mile leg of the planned Inner Circle Greenway.

Detroit Approves $34.5 million to Bring Pistons Downtown
The latest city to open up its coffers to support a professional sports team is Detroit, which will spend $34.5 million to support the Detroit Pistons in a move to the recently completed Little Caesars Arena.

Accused of 'Ambush-Style Eviction,' Detroit Land Bank Faces Lawsuit
A lawsuit, allowed to proceed by a Wayne County judge, reveals some of the difficulties of blight removal.
The Silent Expansion of Fiscal Control Boards in the U.S.
The power and process of boards that take control of a city or territory's finances is becoming more generalized, although they affect local democracy, impose austerity measures without controls, and lack mechanisms to evaluate their efficiency.

Mayor Duggan Lays Out Eight Principles for Detroit's Redevelopment
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made a splash this week by pronouncing a vision to create a Detroit that is 'one city for all of us.'

Detroit Making its Streets 'Sticky'
The word "sticky" when applied to the urban design context has come to mean attractive and comfortable—the kind of place that makes people want to stay away and make return visits. Detroit is the latest city to experiment with the concept.
Residential Developments to Supplement New Detroit Hockey Arena
The Illitch family is continuing to reveal details of the big vision surrounding the new home to the Detroit Red Wings.

Large Michigan Utility to Go Coal-Free by 2050
Apparently Michigan's largest electricity supplier did not receive the Trump memo that the Clean Power Plan will be rolled back as they are proceeding on a plan that will achieve even higher carbon emission reductions.

Urban Orchard in East Detroit Trying to Be a Good Neighbor
When Wolverine Human Services bought 11 acres of East Detroit planning to remove abandoned houses for a U-Pick Orchard, neighbors protested. Now they've pivoted and aim to provide a resource to the community rather than run an agro-business.

The Sorry State of U.S. Water Infrastructure
Water bills are going up because pipes put in shortly after World War II are in need of repair and replacement all over the country, and federal funding for water is shrinking.

Detroit's New Streetcar Line Now Open For Business
Sights and scenes from Detroit's new streetcar system: The QLine

A Rejuvenation Plan for Detroit's Highland Park
Along with Hamtramck, Highland Park is one of two tiny cities entirely surrounded by the city of Detroit. Here's how its leaders want its center to develop over the next five to ten years.

25 Best Examples of Innovative Government Programs
The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University will award $100,000 to a grand price winner for the Innovations in American Government Awards.

Could the Next Round of Transportation Innovations Finally End the Parking Status Quo?
If self-driving cars means more sharing and less car ownership, we may finally lose our appetite for parking, even in the motor city.

Federal Reserve Banks Look for Small Town Lessons in Growth
What do Rochester, Cedar Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Chattanooga have to do with each other? According to Federal Reserve Banks, they are all examples of cities doing growth right.

Detroit's New Q-Line Streetcar Opens to the Public in May*
The long-awaited Q-Line opened to the public earlier today.

Friday Eye Candy: The Antidote to Detroit 'Ruin Porn'
The new book "Detroit: The Dream Is Now" tells a story of revitalization and ambition, in the same city where far too many "ruin porn" photographers have tread.

An Ambitious Revitalization Partnership in Detroit
Bringing together the city, developers, and philanthropic support, Fitz Forward aims to redevelop 300 parcels. Backers hope it will serve as a model for other neighborhoods.

Bad Bets on Detroit Housing Speculation
When investors from Belgium and elsewhere snapped up Detroit houses for a song, some of them didn't consider the full picture. The lesson: do your research, and maybe don't invest thousands of miles form home.

Another Suburban Anchor Development Doomed by Fate in the Detroit Region
The Detroit Pistons recently played their last game in the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Pagination
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service