Student Film Captures The Nature Of A 'Lively' Downtown

"The opening scene of Kirk Westphal's documentary fast-forwards through minutes of footage shot at night at the corner of South Main and Liberty streets in downtown Ann Arbor.

Thanks to the use of time-lapse photography, viewers see continual throngs of people crossing the street in a well-lit downtown after dark. Viewers are left without a doubt that this a city that is alive, even after the sun goes down.

'Insights into a Lively Downtown: An Ann Arbor, Michigan Case Study,' features interviews with dozens of people about what they like and don't like about the core of the city. But the film focuses much on what is right about downtown Ann Arbor, allowing the city to prosper even as many other towns struggle to keep their downtowns alive."