Michigan

Group of diverse college students boarding crowded bus

Almost Half of Michigan Community Colleges Not Transit-Accessible

Access to transportation is a major hurdle for many community college students, but local transit systems often fail to serve them.

February 13, 2023 - WDET

Red brick buildings at Kalamazoo central train station

Michigan Cities to Improve Accessibility at Rail Stations

Four cities settled lawsuits citing a lack of ADA compliance at their intercity rail stations.

February 10, 2023 - M Live

Giant inflatable yellow rubber ducky placed in plaza at Huntington Place, Detroit with pedestrians milling around

Legislature Clears Way for Detroit Convention Center Makeover

A redevelopment plan for Huntington Place would add hundreds of new hotel rooms and create riverfront connectivity.

December 26, 2022 - Crain's Detroit Business

Group of people waiting in line at polling place

Brookings: A Demographic Post-Mortem of the Midterms

Young adults, according to a deep dive analysis by Brookings Metro demographer William Frey, were a key demographic group responsible for stopping the red wave that most polling predicted as the likely outcome of last month's midterm elections.

December 9, 2022 - Brookings

Two-lane street in Detroit's Greektown with American and Greek flags strung across the street

Detroit To Build New Parking for Small Businesses

The city will invest $9 million in an initiative to build customer parking on city-owned lots to boost economic development.

November 29, 2022 - Bridge Detroit

Black car parked in bike lane

Ann Arbor Considers Bike Lane Blocking ‘Bounty’

The proposal would award people who report blocked bike lanes a percentage of resulting tickets. Critics say the city must address the underlying reasons for blocked bike lanes first.

November 21, 2022 - M Live

Rendering of Joe Lewis Greenway at crossing withh street with green striped crosswalk

Detroit Opens Segment of Joe Lewis Greenway

The newly opened segment, which features playground equipment and public lawns, is part of a 27.5 mile greenway that will loop through four cities.

November 8, 2022 - WDET

Aerial photo of the US 131/M-6/68th St. interchange in Wyoming, MIchigan

Op-Ed: Michigan Needs a New Transportation Strategy

One writer calls on the state to stop expanding roads and channel funding to projects that support Michigan’s sustainability goals.

October 17, 2022 - Bridge Michigan

Interstate 375 in Detroit with church in background

Detroit Freeway Removal Plan Awarded Federal Grant

A decade-old plan to elevate a below-grade segment of Interstate 375 and replace it with a lower-speed boulevard could begin two years ahead of schedule thanks to USDOT funding.

October 6, 2022 - The Detroit News

Cars are blurred as they pass the bright lights of the Michigan Theater at dusk in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor Delays Right Turn on Red Ban, Citing Equity Concerns

The city council wants more information on how a ban on right turns on red would affect the city’s hourly workers and the details of its implementation.

September 22, 2022 - M Live

Map of proposed project area

$1.5 Billion Awarded for Transportation Projects, Including $100 Million to Remove a Detroit Freeway

The latest round of federal infrastructure funding includes the largest contribution to emerge, so far, from the 2021 infrastructure bill for the removal of an urban freeway.

September 19, 2022 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Diablo Canyon Nuclear

Legislature Extends $1.4 Billion Lifeline to California's Last Operating Nuclear Power Plant

A bipartisan bill, fiercely opposed by many in the environmental community, would keep the Diablo Canyon Power Plant operating beyond 2025. The bill received overwhelming approval after it was amended to shorten the duration of the extension.

September 6, 2022 - CALmatters

Cars are blurred as they pass the bright lights of the Michigan Theater at dusk in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor Votes to Eliminate Parking Minimums

Ann Arbor, Michigan approved changes to the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC) earlier this week that eliminate off-street parking requirements for a variety of development types throughout the city.

August 17, 2022 - The Handbuilt City

Detroit

Greening Detroit’s Redlined Neighborhoods

A Detroit nonprofit has been planting trees in parts of the city with the lowest tree canopy.

June 22, 2022 - Next City

Community Garden

No Connection Between Gardens and Gentrification in Detroit, Study Says

Research from late 2021 documented the footprint of urban gardens in Detroit, finding evidence of inequities but not gentrification.

June 3, 2022 - WDET

MoGo Bikeshare Bikes

Detroit Bike Share Celebrates Five Years

In its five years of operation, Detroit’s MoGo bikeshare has added electric and adaptive bikes to its fleet of more than 600 bikes.

May 20, 2022 - MoGo

Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station

$6 Billion to Keep Uncompetitive Nuclear Plants Alive

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $6 billion to create a credit program to extend the life of existing nuclear power plants, the largest source of carbon-free energy in the nation. The first deadline to bid for credits is May 19.

May 11, 2022 - The Washington Post

Detroit Public Transit

Michigan Bill To Inject Nearly $5 Billion in Infrastructure, Housing

A bill signed by the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, allocates billions in federal and state funding to water quality, roads and dams, broadband, and other infrastructure projects.

April 1, 2022 - Detroit Free Press

Map of proposed project area

Detroit Plans Freeway Removal To Spur Economic Development

City and state officials hope the proposal to turn part of I-375 into a walkable boulevard will help bring back businesses and economic vitality to the area.

March 20, 2022 - WDET

Winter City

Detroit Launches Website To Track Spending of Federal Dollars

A new web portal allows Detroiters to see how the city is spending hundreds of millions in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

March 15, 2022 - Detroit Free Press

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.