Michigan
WalMart Purchase Thwarted, Family Sues City of Rezoning - And Wins
WalMart made an offer to purchase a plot from a family in Frankenmuth, Michigan, but withdrew the offer when the City Council rezoned the land for a limited building size. The family sued, and a federal judge awarded them $3.6 million.
Detroit's Central Depot: The Next Alcatraz?
Could Detroit turn its crumbling buildings into tourist attractions? The Urbanophile says there are worse ideas.
Inchvesting in Detroit
$1 will buy you one square inch of a vacant lot in Detroit, and membership in Jerry Paffendorf's club of "inchvestors." It may sound like a scheme, but Paffendorf calls it a way to network, invest in Detroit, and attract entrepreneurs.
Tough Times in Detroit, But Some Hope Remains
One in five Detroit homes is in foreclosure and asking prices are dropping to extreme lows. Many in the city question what lies in the future for the struggling city.
Mayor Bing Says It's Time to Downsize Detroit
"If we don't do it, you know this whole city is going to go down," said the Mayor. A new study by the mayor's staff shows that roughly one in three parcels are vacant lots or abandoned homes.
From Motor City to Mode D'Art City?
Between official encouragement, revived art institutes and "guerrilla" artists, Detroit is becoming a magnet for artists as it seeks creative ways to revitalize.
Detroit's $20 Million Demolition Plan
The city of Detroit has enough money to tear down between one-quarter and one-third of the city's 10,000 abandoned houses.
EPA Plots Plan to Restore Great Lakes
With heavily polluted waters and eroding shorelines, the Great Lakes are undergoing a rapid deterioration in health. The Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled a 5-year plan to restore the lakes.
Detroit Mayor Warms to Downsizing
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is reportedly open to the idea of downsizing the city, and is looking for other fresh ideas to help the city's economy return to a sustainable place.
Reinventing Mobility in Detroit
PBS documents Detroit's attempts to overcome its history as "the Motor City" to create new ways of getting people around. Transit advocates play a big part in this preview, which includes renderings of projected transit options.
A Garden in Motor City
Detroit revitalizes urban farming to replace dying industry.
Models for Detroit: Belfast, Bilbao and Turin
Detroit can come back using the model of European countries that downsized and densified, restructured their industries and created incubators for innovation, say Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley of Brookings.
The Ruins of Detroit and New Orleans
Bryan Finoki looks at the devastated cities of Detroit and New Orleans and finds "blueprints for the manufacture of ruin".
Detroit's Dramatic New Transit Center
Architect Tushar Advani has designed an iconic new bus station for Detroit, a mandate from transportation planners looking for a symbol of progress for the ailing city.
A Farm Future for Detroit?
Agricultural investors are buying up abandoned and empty land in Detroit -- making a big wager on the future of the city as a farm town.
Detroit Gets Funding for Light Rail
A public-private partnership has come together to fund a 3.4-mile light rail line through Detroit's commercial district, and convinced the Feds to bend the rules a little to bring it to reality.
Rebound Cities Offer Lessons for Detroit
This piece from The New Republic looks at the "urban disaster" of Detroit and compares it to other cities that have come on tough times in the past. Cities like Belfast and Turin offer examples of how Detroit can come back from the dead.
3D Motown
The team at Google has released a 3D model of Detroit.
Curing Sprawl in Lansing
Like many American cities, Lansing, Michigan, has been afflicted with sprawl since the end of World War II. Locals have identified the culprit: separate-use zoning.
Michigan Urged to Keep Film Incentive Program
Filmmakers are calling on state officials in Michigan to extend the state's grant program that provides up to 42% of production costs simply for filming in Michigan.
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
