Neighborhood groups around Detroit are taking the city's rat problem into their owns hands.
The Ferndale Rat Patrol is a Facebook group of 600 members, "working to rid their metro Detroit communities of rats without the use of poisons," according to Dargay. But it's far from the only group in the Detroit metropolitan area dedicated to the cause. There's also the Royal Oak Rats and the Rat Problem in Garden City.
The Royal Oak Rats will be hosting a free workshop in February on the subjects of "trapping, using raptors to control rats, owl houses, tools to help fight rat infestation, feeding birds without attracting rats, rat facts and the downside of using poisons." The Ferndale Rat Patrol hands out trophies—golden rat traps—to the most successful rat hunters in their group.
Dargay provides more reporting on the methods employed by each of these groups, and some of the bureaucratic context from which these collective actions have emerged. It's worth noting that Detroit is far from the "rattiest" city in the country. A 2017 list of the rattiest cities in the country placed Detroit at number seven.
FULL STORY: Killing rats a labor of love for neighborhood groups
New York City to Invest $32 Million in its Rat Problem
Clean and safe from rats.
Ranking the Cities with the Largest Rat Problem
Some cities have a reputation for rats, but all cities have them. Where does your major metropolitan center rank among the rattiest cities?
Detroit Reveals the Possibilities and Pitfalls of a New Era of Governance
America's fundamental levels of governance are changing, writes Anna Clark in Next American City, who uses examples from Detroit and Cleveland to ascertain what the stakes are when cities cede public sector work to third parties.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research