Michigan
Public Transit on the Chopping Block in Detroit
The 100,000 daily riders who depend on Detroit's bus system have been feeling the effects of public transportation cuts: commute times have doubled, paychecks have suffered. But Quin Klinefelter reports the worst may be yet to come.
Arrival of Big Boxes Serves As Point of Pride in Detroit
Tanveer Ali sees Detroit, where the impending arrival of retail behemoths has been greeted with enthusiasm by a city in desperate need of jobs and retail outlets, as an interesting test case for theories about the economic value of big-box stores
Why Detroit Was Cursed from the Start
Detroit native Pete Saunders makes the case that poor planning put the nail in Motown's casket.
America's Newest High-Speed Rail Service Begins
This past Wednesday, Amtrak debuted the newest high-speed rail service in the country, and the first outside of the northeast corridor. Where you ask? California? Florida? Nope, it's is Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Making the Case for Sprawl
Christopher Mims reports on L. Brooks Patterson, county executive of Oakland County, Michigan, who is perhaps the country's most vocal advocate of sprawl.
Detroit For Sale?
Detroit's municipal financial crisis may force the city to sell some of its most venerable assets including Belle Isle, City Airport, and even the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, reports Darren A. Nichols.
Investing in Detroit's Renaissance
Dan Gilbert, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans Inc., is perhaps one of Detroit's biggest boosters of late. And he's putting his money where his mouth is.
On the Allure of Ghost Ads
When a building in blighted Highland Park, Michigan was demolished, a painted advertisement on the adjacent building was revealed. Nearby, other ghost ads remain, "nearly as bright" as ever. Dan Berry reports on why we're so fascinated by them.
Are Plans for Detroit's Light Rail Back On Track?
Just three weeks after the city announced it was cancelling plans for a 9.3-mile light rail line, a truncated version may be built, but with some key caveats.
Detroit May Not Be In 'Severe Financial Stress'
According to a team reviewing the city's finances, a state-appointed emergency manager may not have to be put in place, indicating that Detroit isn't necessarily going broke. However, the city and union leaders must act quickly to prove so.
Detroit: Beyond the Bailout, Immigration is Key Issue
The formula for Detroit's current status is complicated -- a mix of local, regional and national socioeconomic forces. But while many hands have shaped the good and bad of today's Detroit, the impact of current federal policy is easy to spot.
Brownfields to Green Golf Courses in Michigan
A former industrial corridor in Benton Harbor, Michigan is being transformed into a resort community complete with golf course.
Detroit Scraps Train Plans
The city and federal DOT have decided against a $600 million plan that would introduce light rail and, subsequently, more residents to the city. Instead, money will go to improving a notoriously unreliable bus system.
Tea Party Candidate Nixes Transit Center
They mayor of Troy, Mich. chooses ideology over investment, The Atlantic's says Eric Jaffe.
A Miesian Community That Still Works
Sam Graves at Dwell says that Detroit's Lafayette Park, planned by Mies van der Rohe in 1956, is a rare success story from the planned developments of that era.
Michigan Cities See Placemaking as the Key to a Brighter Future
Officials in recession-battered Michigan increasingly see placemaking as an important economic recovery strategy. The Michigan Municipal League, a coalition of local governments, is leading efforts to make the state's cities talent magnets.
Turning Old Schools Into Parkside Apartments
In Grand Rapids, a number of no-longer-needed elementary schools are being transformed into apartment buildings, while the playgrounds and sports fields are turned into city parks.
Icon of Detroit "Ruin Porn" Being Renovated
Manuel "Matty" Moroun has spent millions cleaning up Michigan Central Depot, cleaning out debris and hiring architects and feasibility experts to figure out how much of the building is worth saving.
A New Light for Motor City
How grassroots entrepreneurs and inspired religious leaders are working to erase urban blight in Detroit.
Talking Placemaking with Fred Kent
Michelle Bruch talks with placemaking expert Fred Kent about the makeover he helped orchestrate of Detroit's Campus Martius Park.
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
