Dan Gilbert, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans Inc., is perhaps one of Detroit's biggest boosters of late. And he's putting his money where his mouth is.
Daniel Howes reports on Gilbert's bullish optimism for investment and development opportunities in Downtown Detroit and on his efforts to attract young professionals to the city.
"Gilbert's buying spree - the Madison and the Dime Bank building, the First National Bank building and the Chase Tower, to name four - is driven as much by attractive economics and an entrepreneur's nose for first-mover advantage as any do-gooder philanthropic urge to save downtown."
"'We are almost at that proverbial tipping point in Midtown and downtown, if we aren't already there,' [Matt] Cullen [Matt Cullen, president of Gilbert's Rock Ventures], says of the mounting urban momentum despite the city's financial troubles."
FULL STORY: Gilbert remains bullish on the D

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)