Detroit

Detroit Freeway

How Policymakers Are Grappling With the Racist Legacy of Urban Freeways

In Michigan, the state's Department of Transportation is looking for ways to mitigate the damage caused by decades of urban renewal policies and reconnect neighborhoods cut off from amenities and opportunities by highway projects.

February 7, 2022 - Deadline Detroit

Amtrak Train

Railroad Merger Would Add Service Between Detroit and Toronto

An agreement between two rail companies would create a connection between Michigan and Ontario, improve passenger rail service in the Midwest, and add new lines in Louisiana and Texas.

January 11, 2022 - WXYZ

Rescue Bus

Driver Shortages and Service Reductions: The Crisis in Public Transit Continues

While transit systems around the country had reason to celebrate the new funding made available in the federal infrastructure bill, long-term concerns about operational capacity have not been resolved.

November 18, 2021 - Detroit Free Press

An illustration of rain clouds gathered over the U.S. Midwest, with the city of Detroit called out on the map.

Flooding in the Midwest Shows There's No Refuge From Climate Change

While projections say areas of the U.S. Midwest around the Great Lakes will become more hospitable as the climate changes, stormwater and flooding is still a challenge in a surprising number of locations.

September 16, 2021 - Yahoo News

Detroit Vacant Properties

Detroit Residents Find it Hard to Access Land Bank Properties

Longtime residents say the city is not fulfilling its goal of keeping vacant parcels in the hands of locals as property values rise steeply.

August 19, 2021 - Outlier Media

Flood waters overwhelm a park, full of empty benches, on a sunny day.

Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change

The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.

June 30, 2021 - Daily Detroit

SMART Bus

Opinion: Detroit Area Stunted by Lack of Regional Transit

Improved connectivity and reliability in the region's public transit could stimulate growth and help build a more vibrant local economy.

June 21, 2021 - Michigan Advance

HUD

Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Announced for 5 U.S. Cities

A federal grant program designed to support holistic and socially-focused planning projects at the neighborhood level has announced the winners of its most recent round of competitive grant funding.

June 2, 2021 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit as a Model for 'Building Back Better'

Cities have more experience, and examples, than they might realize when it comes to reinventing systems of investment and governance to recover from the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 11, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Suburban Homes

Dan Gilbert Announces $500 Million Investment in Detroit Neighborhoods

Dan Gilbert, the billionaire credited with the revitalization of development interest in and around Downtown Detroit, made a bombshell announcement in his first in-depth interview since suffering a stroke in 2019.

March 26, 2021 - The Detroit News

Detroit Transit

Cultivating a Culture of Transit

How Detroit, historical home of the U.S. automotive industry, can create a culture of transit and the equitable transportation system its residents need.

February 23, 2021 - David Gifford

Detroit Motor City

Detroit's Unique Climate Challenges

As climate change intensifies, Detroit could see more devastating floods and deadlier heat waves.

January 27, 2021 - Planet Detroit

Paris Aerial

From Paris to Portland: The 15-Minute City Goes Mainstream

Raising the bar on the 20-minute neighborhood model, cities around the world are embracing the appeal of the 15-minute city during the coronavirus pandemic.

November 18, 2020 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Blight Demolition

$160 Million in Bond Funding for Demolitions on the Ballot in Detroit

Proposal N, on the ballot for Detroit voters next week, will provide $160 million in bond funding for demolitions and $90 million to mothball homes for future rehab, but, according to this opinion, it won't solve the city's blight challenges.

October 29, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

Detroit Vacant

Detroit Continues Demolition Program After Lead Risks Revealed

The city of Detroit said it would halt a demolition program after a report revealed the amount of lead released by demolitions into the environment, risking the health of children and other local residents.

October 20, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

Rockaway Beach Bus

Racism Has Shaped Public Transit, and It’s Riddled with Inequities

Former Houston METRO Board Member Christof Spieler highlights the racism embedded even in the way transit agencies were created.

August 25, 2020 - Urban Edge

Portland Weird

Comparing the Racial Segregation of U.S. Cities

The City Observatory used American Community Survey from the U.S. Census to compare the segregation of the largest U.S. cities. Portland is the most integrated American city; Detroit is the most segregated U.S. city.

August 23, 2020 - City Observatory

Michigan Central Deport

Economic Recovery in Legacy Cities

Americans living in legacy cities face a unique set of challenges and opportunities in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several local, state, and federal support strategies could aid these cities in recouping losses.

August 19, 2020 - Brookings

Detroit Fairgrounds

Dormant Michigan State Fairground Site to Make Way for Amazon Distribution Center

Detroit officials have been trying to find a new life for the former site of the Michigan State Fair for a long time. Amazon will fill the void, according to a redevelopment proposal announced last week.

August 16, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

Detroit Freeway

Detroit Highways: Tear Them Down

Urban planning decisions about highway placement in Detroit damaged Black communities. Nithin Vejendla shares an opinion about how to address this legacy and move toward justice.

August 3, 2020 - Detroit Free Press

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