Michigan

A flooded street in Michigan. A car is driving away from the camera. The water is up past the car's tires.

Michigan needs billions to save its water infrastructure. The state won't fund it

Michigan needs to invest $2.8 billion per year over the next 20 years to fix its water infrastructure. The FY 2027 budget allocates only $27.9 million.

October 22, 2026 - University Of Michigan

A yellow sign on the side of the road reads "NO DATA CENTER"

Data center developers are using lawsuits, cash offers to ‘overwhelm’ rural America

Newsrooms in five states worked together to uncover the tactics big tech developers use to buy land from reluctant communities.

October 10, 2026 - The Oregonian

The Leeland Dam, nestled between two buildings with pointed roofs. People watch the water.

Michigan Senate votes to revise 'lax' dam safety laws

A Bridge Michigan investigation found more than 100,000 Michigan residents live in the floodpath of a high or significant-hazard dam.

October 6, 2026 - The Associated Press

A rendering of the waterfront development, which shows a lit-up stage by the waterfront and people walking about.

Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment

Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.

October 2, 2026 - ABC 7

The J.H. Campbell Generating Plant, a concrete building in front of a large body of water.

Federal judge strikes down DOE orders to keep Michigan power plant open past retirement date

The decision is one of the first successful legal challenges to President Trump’s “national energy emergency” ruling, which instructs federal agencies to use emergency powers to increase fossil fuel production.

September 20, 2026 - Grist

A crowd of people in front of two MetroNow buses, cutting a blue ribbon.

Three agencies expanding on-demand transit

Multiple states across America increasing access to flexible public transportation.

September 1, 2026 - Mass Transit

Workers building paved two-sided bike and walking trail next to single-family homes in Detroit, Michigan.

Detroit greenway brings revival — and fears of displacement

The planned Joe Louis Greenway is already bringing change to the neighborhoods near it.

July 19, 2026 - Bridge Detroit

Aerial of downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Ann Arbor millage tax has created over $27M for affordable housing

The 2020 property tax is expected to fund roughly 1,500 new affordable homes.

June 26, 2026 - Concentrate Media

Protest in Detroit

Some Detroit residents spend as much as 25% of their disposable income on water bills. A fraught history explains why.

Detroit’s water affordability crisis is tied to the uneven distribution of stormwater management costs.

May 19, 2026 - Nicole Van Lier

Spherical sculpture lit from underneath in front of convention center in downtown Detroit, Michigan.

APA conference draws 4,000 urban planners to Detroit this weekend

The annual conference brings together planners for a weekend of panels, discussions and tours.

April 26, 2026 - DBusiness

Parking lot in downtown Detroit, future home of university of michigan center for innovation, with mural of Statue of Liberty's head on building behind lot.

University of Michigan launches urban technology master's program

The program explores how technology can help planners, architects, and others make cities more environmentally and socially sustainable.

April 12, 2026 - Michigan Daily

Blurred car passing through crosswalk in downtown Detroit, Michigan.

New Federal Grant Rules Could Kill Detroit Road Diets

Millions in federal dollars for safe streets could be in jeopardy after federal agencies changed conditions for grant funding.

March 16, 2026 - Bridge Detroit

Man and woman boarding bus on winter day in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

UMich Students Install DIY Bus Benches in Ann Arbor

A student urbanism club built and distributed benches at some of the city’s most-used bus stops.

February 16, 2026 - Michigan Daily

Street view of State Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan with protected bike lane.

Ann Arbor Opens First Bus-Only Lane

The new bus lane is part of a makeover of State Street that will make bus travel faster and more reliable.

December 23, 2025 - M Live

Blue test van for EV charging roadway project in Detroit, Michigan.

Detroit Tests the Nation’s First Public EV Charging Street

A quarter-mile segment of test roadway can charge EVs as they drive over it.

December 16, 2025 - Men's Journal

Detroit ‘Solar Neighborhoods’ are Transforming Blighted Lots Into Renewable Energy Hubs

The city just broke ground on solar installations that will provide renewable energy to the surrounding communities.

November 23, 2025 - The Baltimore Banner

Aerial of construction site in front of historic multi-story Michigan Central train station in Detroit, Michigan.

Detroit To Build New Bus, Train Hub Next to Historic Station

The new station will serve intercity buses and offer connections to Amtrak service.

October 21, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of townhomes in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Rise of Crowdfunded Real Estate

Enabled by provisions in the JOBS Act of 2012 that allow smaller scale investing, community members are becoming co-owners of local real estate projects.

October 2, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Screenshot of website advertising 50 micro-housing modular units on auction.

Michigan Capital's $640K ‘Pod’ Homes for Homeless Residents not Approved for Winter Use

Lansing officials approved a plan to purchase 50 modular micro-housing units as emergency shelter for the city’s unhoused residents.

September 11, 2025 - Associated Press

Two Ann Arbor police officers on motorcycles wearing bright yellow reflective vests with POLICE on back.

Ann Arbor Traffic Stops for Minor Offenses Drop to Zero in August

A new policy bars Ann Arbor police officers from pulling people over for minor, non-dangerous equipment violations.

September 8, 2025 - M Live

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.