Detroit

Friday Funny: Detroit Neighborhoods Perfect Site for 'Zombie Park'

One brazen entrepreneur from Detroit is looking to raise funds to bring his "zombie theme park" concept to life, Sarah Cox reports.

June 29, 2012 - Curbed

The Rise of the Creative Class, 2012 Edition

Workers making up the 'creative class,' a term first coined by author Richard Florida, continue to grow and prosper, generating trillions in wages. What cities in the U.S. have the largest creative economies?

June 29, 2012 - The Daily Beast

What's the Opposite of Gentrification?

Richey Piiparinen says that in one obvious way, gentrification isn't a problem in the Rust Belt (that being housing prices, which are comfortably low pretty much everywhere). A true intermingling of racial and ethnic groups is happening, he argues.

June 27, 2012 - RustWire

A Tree Grows in Pigeon Town

I don’t know what it is about New Orleans that makes me wax rhapsodic. But something about the city makes everyday life look poetic. I returned to the Crescent City last week after having last visited just seven months ago, when a tree planting

June 25, 2012 - Jeffrey Barg

Are Farmers Markets a Cure for Planning Fatigue?

Years of public forums and planning exercises aimed at reviving Detroit have left residents craving results. Recent work by the Project for Public Spaces with farmers markets in the city may reveal a replicable avenue for action.

June 1, 2012 - PPS: Placemaking Blog

Lights Out for Detroit

As Detroit struggles through major economic and population losses, the mayor plans to turn off approximately half of the city's streetlights, Chris Christoff reports.

May 27, 2012 - Bloomberg

Will Generation Y Drive a Rust Belt Redux?

In search of cheap rent and an urban experience with some bona fide street cred, young people are making the move out to the Rust Belt, Will Doig reports.

May 17, 2012 - Salon

Detroit Reborn

In the first edition of a new series, Richard Florida introduces us to the inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and artists, designers and musicians invested in the bottom-up effort to revive Detroit.

May 17, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Vision for Remaking Detroit Comes Into Focus

John Gallagher provides an update on the elements being considered for remaking the city's neighborhoods by Mayor Dave Bing's Detroit Works long-term planning team.

May 11, 2012 - Detroit Free Press

Why Whole Foods' Arrival is an Auspicious Sign for Detroit

Starbucks used to be the retailer who symbolically announced the revival of an urban community. Not any longer. Will Doig looks at Whole Foods, the new gentrification symbol, who've "made a science of putting down roots" at "just the right moment".

May 8, 2012 - Salon.com

Where to Find America's Most Peaceful Places

Released earlier this week by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the annual United States Peace Index (USPI) analyzes peacefulness at the state and city levels, and the costs associated with violence. Richard Florida discusses its findings.

April 27, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

The Paradox of the Motor City

Spencer Fleury looks into the contradictory nature of his hometown Detroit; as the city commonly praised for its car culture is now being crushed by it.

April 25, 2012 - Beyond the Cul de Sac

Land Abundant Gives Rise to Gardens in Detroit

John Gallagher investigates a growing trend of unsanctioned urban agriculture in Detroit, where residents have had to take alternative land use into their own hands.

April 11, 2012 - Detroit Free Press

A Closer Look At Growth Data Showing An Urban Revival

On April 5, the U.S. Census Bureau released growth data from April 2010 to July 2011 showing that for the first time in 20 years, urban growth surpassed exurban growth. Yonah Freemark takes a closer look at the data for 21 metropolitan areas.

April 10, 2012 - theTransportPolitic

Detroit Cuts Deal to Avoid State Takeover

Just 24 hours before Governor Snyder's deadline for appointing an emergency manager for Detroit to help rein in its budgetary troubles, the city council has voted to approve a consent agreement with the State of Michigan.

April 5, 2012 - Detroit Free Press

Where Does It Make Sense To Buy A Home?

The answer is basically everywhere. Jed Kolko reports on the findings of a new study examining the ratio of home prices to annualized rent in 100 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United State.

March 22, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Detroit Drifts Towards Budget Armageddon

As the city runs out of cash, Detroit leaders are balking at a restructuring deal proposed by state officials to establish a joint advisory board to address the city’s financial troubles without a state-appointed emergency manager.

March 15, 2012 - The New York Times

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.

March 10, 2012 - NPR

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

March 5, 2012 - Good

Why Detroit Was Cursed from the Start

Detroit native Pete Saunders makes the case that poor planning put the nail in Motown's casket.

February 25, 2012 - Urbanophile

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.