Detroit

A Closer Look at Detroit's Blighted Properties

The New York Times has produced a pair of visualization tools to present the findings of the recent report by Detroit's Blight Removal Task Force.

May 29, 2014 - New York Times

Tough Times Falling on Detroit's Casinos

First floated as a redevelopment strategy in 2007, Detroit's gamble on casinos has yielded a mature market. Now come reports that even a big name investor hasn't been able to turn around the Greektown Casino.

May 28, 2014 - The Detroit News

Report Recommends $850 Million to Eradicate Detroit's Blight

The Detroit Blight Removal Task Force released its highly anticipated "Every neighborhood has a future...And it doesn't include blight" report today.

May 27, 2014 - MLive

DIY Bus Company Delivers Badly Needed Transit Service in Detroit

NationSwell tells the story of the Detroit Bus Company, which provides free transit services to neighborhoods in need around Detroit.

May 22, 2014 - NationSwell

Detroit Residents Plant 15,000 Trees in a Day

The story of Hantz Woodlands—and a local philanthropist's vision to transform urban blight into an urban forest.

May 19, 2014 - The Detroit News

Detroit's Citizen Filmmakers Document 'One Day in Detroit'

Following a concept familiar from the 'One Day on Earth' documentary, a legion of citizen filmmakers spent April 26, 2014 documenting the many moments that mark the Detroit experience.

April 27, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

Regional Water Authority DOA in Detroit

One of the unanswered questions of Detroit’s post-bankruptcy future is what will happen with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, especially after negotiations to create a regional authority ended in failure this week.

April 16, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

Pulitzer Prize

Pulitzer Prizes Awarded for Urbanism and Built Environment Journalism

The 2014 Pulitzer Prizes yesterday awarded the best work of journalists over the past year. Included in the roster of winners were journalists and publications covering issues of relevance to Planetizen readers.

April 15, 2014 - Pulitzer.org

High Line park NYC - Manhattan - New York City

The High Line as Symbol of 'Severe Economic Inequality'

A recent article in Salon cites the High Line as perhaps the most conspicuous example of how municipal governments are subsidizing wealthy corporate or private interests while many citizens continue to suffer low wages and benefits.

April 14, 2014 - Salon

Can Detroit Fix its Parking Enforcement Mess?

In a recent column for Detroit Free Press, Nancy Kaffer responded to a proposal by Detroit Mayor Kevin Orr to raise the price of a parking ticket in Detroit by $20 to $45.

April 13, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

Commuter Taxes: An Untapped Revenue Source?

For all those cities that double population during the work day, here's a revenue thought to consider. But why restrict it to in-bound commuters? What about residents who commute-out of the city? Is the commuter tax a legitimate revenue source?

March 26, 2014 - Governing

Youngstown, Ohio

Lessons for Shrinking Cities from Youngstown, Ohio

The city of Youngstown, Ohio has lost 60 percent of its population since the 1960s. The Youngstown 2010 plan attempted to redevelop a new, smaller city, but how well has it accomplished its goals so far?

March 23, 2014 - Michigan Daily

Detroit Motor Bus

The Derelict State of Detroit’s Buses

In a recent article for the Washington Post, Matthew Dolan details the sub-par state of bus service in Detroit—a city where residents live without cars in quickly growing numbers.

March 21, 2014 - The Washington Post

Red Tape

'Lean Urbanism' Explained

“Lean urbanism” is the latest buzz-worthy term to enter the discussion on planning and urbanism. A recent article in Atlantic Cities explains the concept—which appeals to the younger generation as well as those with libertarian leanings.

March 17, 2014 - The Atlantic Cities

'Walkable Urban Places' Arrive in Detroit’s Suburbs

Christopher Leinberger provides his assessment of the “Walkable Urban Places” concept in the suburban parts of metropolitan Detroit in a new article from metromode.

March 7, 2014 - Metromode

Lessons for Detroit—from New Orleans

Detroit recently replaced New Orleans as the American city with the highest rate of blight. As Detroit undertakes its plans to shrink, which includes a massive blight removal campaign, what lessons from New Orleans bear repeating?

February 27, 2014 - New York Times

Detroit's Bankruptcy Plan Accelerates Blight Reduction

To drastically increase the rate of Detroit’s ongoing transformation, the city's bankruptcy plan, recently filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, would spend $520 million on its ongoing blight reduction efforts in the hopes of razing 400-500 homes a week.

February 24, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

aerial view of downtown detroit showing lots of parking lots

Detroit—Model of Lean Urbanism

The Knight Foundation has announced funding for the Project for Lean Urbanism, led by Andrés Duany. In a recent article, Duany applies concepts from Lean Urbanism in examining the case of Detroit as the next in a line of revitalized urban settings.

February 20, 2014 - Knight Foundation

Questioning ‘If You Demolish It, They Will Come’

Removing Detroit’s blight is highly emotional, and made more difficult by the lack of models for emulation. A recent editorial rejects the assumption that removing blight from over 100,000 vacant lots is sufficient to stimulate economic development.

January 28, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

facade of college for creative studies in downtown detroit

Professionals Priced Out of Hot Detroit Neighborhoods

As unbelievable as it may sound in a city with tens of thousands of vacant properties, young professionals are being priced out of popular Detroit neighborhoods like Midtown and Corktown as demand far exceeds supply.

January 27, 2014 - Detroit Free Press

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.