As Detroit shrinks, a team of consultants and city officials are faced with the daunting task of reforming a city that is largely full of holes.
Among the difficulties officials are facing, how to consolidate city services and residents,
"How to reconfigure roads, bus lines, police districts? How to encourage people - there is no power of eminent domain to force them - to move out of the worst neighborhoods and into better ones?"
In the meantime, Deputy Director of Planning, Marja M. Winters along with her cohorts have been assessing surrounding neiborhoods and meeting with community groups to hear their concerns.
"And so, a contingent of private consultants and city officials like Ms. Winters have taken part in one of the deepest mile-by-mile analyses of Detroit in memory, tracking population densities, foreclosed homes, disease, parks, roads, water lines, sewer lines, bus routes, publicly owned lands, and on and on.
Among the dismal findings: more than 100,000 parcels, private and public, are vacant; and only 38 percent of Detroiters work in the city."
Thanks to Jason Van Patten
FULL STORY: The Odd Challenge for Detroit Planners
Detroit and Michigan on the Upswing
It's been 66 years since the Motor City last grew its population. Census data released last month revealed an increase of nearly 2,000 people last year, nearly half the state's population growth.
A Detroit Neighborhood 'Sentenced to Die'
A handful of Delray residents refuse to be displaced by industry, but the plan for a new bridge may mean they don't have a choice.
Accused of 'Ambush-Style Eviction,' Detroit Land Bank Faces Lawsuit
A lawsuit, allowed to proceed by a Wayne County judge, reveals some of the difficulties of blight removal.
How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?
Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.
California Law Ends Road Widening Mandates
Housing developers will no longer be required to dedicate land to roadway widening, which could significantly reduce the cost of construction and support more housing units.
But... Europe
European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?
California Room to Roam Act Prioritizes Wildlife Connectivity
A new state law requires new development and infrastructure to minimize disruption to local wildlife habitats and migration patterns.
Oregon Releases Historic Preservation Plan for Next Decade
A plan from the state’s State Historic Preservation Commission outlines priorities for preserving Oregon’s cultural and historic resources.
Austin’s Vision for I-35 Cap Parks Takes Final Shape
The city’s plan includes parks, entertainment pavilions, commercial space, sports fields, and other facilities over 30 acres of deck parks spanning a sunken Interstate 35.
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.
Placer County
Mayors' Institute on City Design
City of Sunnyvale
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation