Michigan
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.
The Second Coming of Marked-Down Detroit
The 2010 Census reveals that Detroit's population is approaching the 1910's level. Of the City's 714,000 residents, 83% are black and nearly 40% live in poverty. With virtually every statistic going against its favor, can Motown make a comeback?
Urban Pioneers Attracted to Detroit
The Economist paints a gloomy picture of an ailing Detroit, but also says there is hope in the form of urban pioneers attracted by the affordability of space.
$47 Million in Transit Grants Going to Michigan
The money, part of a larger $930 million to be allocated nationwide for transit projects, will aid 16 new projects from facility maintanence to hybrid buses.
How an Art Event Transformed Grand Rapids
ArtPrize, a yearly art festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is attracting unprecedented crowds to this unexpected destination.
Latest Government Shutdown Threat: Disaster Relief vs. Clean Car Manufacturing Subsidy
Once again, a government shutdown looms after Sept. 30 over funding for disaster relief. House Republicans insist that the additional spending must be off-set with spending cuts, and their target is a subsidy for electric cars and batteries.
Hey, Watch Where You're Rightsizing!
As city leaders look at ways to shrink Lansing, Michigan to a more sustainable size, historic preservationists say "Stop, Look and Listen" before you go clearing out neighborhoods of historic residences.
Detroit's Transit Boondoggle
Bill Johnson says that Detroit would do well to remember 1987's People Mover, which cost 7 times more than projected and has never reached its expected ridership.
Faking It: Imitations of Cities Around the Globe
For better or worse, cities mimic each other, making replicas of great landmarks down to unique light fixtures. The Infrastructurist selects top 5 cities that do the job well. Not surprisingly, Shanghai earns the title as the hallmark of knock-offs.
Companies Flee Suburbs for Detroit Office Space
More and more businesses in suburban Detroit are packing up an moving into the center of the city.
Lake Erie Is Dying (Again)
Deadly algae and invasive species are choking the life out of Lake Erie. It recovered from near-death 40 years ago, but the regulations that helped save it last time are under increasing attack.
Squatting on the Rise in Detroit
With more than 100,000 empty homes within the city of Detroit, squatters are increasingly moving in.
Rent Program Aims to Help Jews Return to Detroit
A Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit program called CommunityNEXT is raising funds and providing a $250 rent subsidy for those that chose to live in Detroit's downtown of Midtown.
Real Estate Rebound Gaining Ground in Select Cities
Bay City, Michigan, which has seen seven consecutive months of rising home prices, is one of 25 metro areas seeing a rebound in their real estate market despite a slow economic recovery, Morgan Brennan reports for Forbes.
Young and Idealistic Take Over Detroit
Meagan Elliott, an urban planning student at the University of Michigan, writes about a young, idealistic generation that is moving to Detroit.
Experts Say Detroit's Transit Disagreements Can Be Resolved
Despite a lack of cooperation on regional transit issues, Detroit area transportation agencies can find a way to fix the region's broken system, according to a panel of officials and experts.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
