Michigan
Midwestern Cities Using Transit as Economic Development Tool
Chicago's Fulton Market's new transit stop is attracting attention and investment in the neighborhood. Increasingly, more cities in the Midwest are embracing transportation projects as a means to revitalize downtowns and historic districts.
Detroit Contemplates Privatizing Parking Assets
In his quest to leave no source of potential revenue unexplored, Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr is looking into selling Detroit's parking lots, meters and garages. The experiences of other cities who've trodden a similar path offer cause for caution.

This is What Downtown Looks Like When Your Employees All Live in the Suburbs
In bright reds and oranges, a map produced by Data Driven Detroit makes clear how much the city has suffered from decades of suburban flight. Nearly every block of downtown features substantial parking, including a stunning amount of surface lots.
Want to Avoid Detroit's Fate? Diversify Your Economy
"Nearly all the rich world’s industrial cities fell on hard times between 1950 and 1980," says The Economist. Why did some recover while others failed? A new paper argues that skilled workers and a diverse economy are key to overcoming adversity.
Detroit Default Ripples Through Municipal Bond Market
The Motor City is the not the only victim of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Local governments across Michigan are now encountering substantial obstacles to borrowing amid concerns about the security of municipal bonds.

The Grand Plans that Failed to Save Detroit
The $500 million Renaissance Center, a 2.9-mile People Mover, and new downtown sports stadiums are just some of the grand schemes that were supposed to help arrest Detroit's decades-long decline.
Urban Revivals Give Hope to Detroit Emergency Manager
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, emergency manager Kevyn Orr explains how his own experiences living in once-derelict, now-thriving cities leave him optimistic about Detroit's revival.
Return of Industry Brings First Ever Trail-to-Rail Conversion in Michigan
Michigan is a national leader in rail-to-trail conversions, but a mining company in the Upper Peninsula will necessitate the first "reactivation" of a trail in the state. The federal Rails to Trails law sanctions such conversions.

Bemoan Atlanta, as Well as Detroit, Writes Columnist
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman looks at two great American cities, one losing population for decades and now filed for bankruptcy, the other growing rapidly but through sprawl, not smart growth. Yet Atlanta suffers lower social mobility.
The Great Lakes' Great Disappearing Act
Over the past 14 years, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have experienced an unprecedented drop in water levels, and many fear they won't be coming back. In a multi-part series the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explores the causes and implications.
Improved Public Services a Beneficial By-Product of Detroit Bankruptcy
The addition of 50 new police cars, ramped up bus service, and long overdue streetlight repairs are all being planned as bankruptcy proceedings allow Detroit to increase funding for public services.
With East Riverfront Redevelopment, Builder Bets on Detroit's Future
Just outside of downtown, and a short walk from the Detroit River, developer McCormack Baron Salazar is planning to build a new neighborhood of town houses, apartments, and retail on mostly vacant land - a $60 million bet on the city's future.
Do the Feds Have a Responsibility to Help Detroit?
The federal government has a role to play in the financial crises afflicting cities across America, and most notably of late, in Detroit. Should Washington also play a role in helping them to recover?
'Against All Odds', Detroit is Poised for Growth
With its recent bankruptcy filing, Detroit has a plethora of challenges ahead of it. But the city is well positioned for growth, argue Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley, which will be as important for the city's renewal as fixing its fiscal problems.
How a Private-Sector Approach Can Save Your Transit System
Is your city's transit agency caught in a cycle of rising fares, declining service, and chronic financial problems? Mark Aesch has used an innovative approach to turn around the bus systems in Rochester and Detroit. Could it work in your city?
What's Next for Detroit?
Yesterday, Detroit became the largest municipality in U.S. history to declare bankruptcy. Such an action is unprecedented, so the path forward is murky. Yet one word seems to signify what lies ahead over the next year: battles.

Bankrupt!
After months of speculation, and decades of mismanagement and population decline, Detroit has filed for bankruptcy. The milestone is the culmination of a turbulent half-century for the city. But some see it as a chance for a new start.
Is a City Still a City If It Can't Serve Its Residents?
Police response times average 58 minutes for worst crimes and at times only 10 of the city's 36 ambulances are in service: Detroit's woes extend far beyond its unpaid debts. Many residents are hoping emergency management will bring drastic change.
Could Mandatory Insurance Prevent Vacant Building Blight?
Abandoned factories litter the landscapes of cities and towns throughout the Rust Belt. A new paper proposes an innovative solution to help prevent vacant buildings from plaguing a community before a building is ever constructed.
What Would Happen if an American Town Went Carless?
For a possible answer, look to Mackinac Island, Michigan, where cars have been banned for 115 years. Does chaos ensue when the island's population grows to 15,000 during the summer tourist season? Not quite, says Stephen Messenger.
Pagination
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.
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