Michigan

Rebuilding Civic Spaces: Going Small To Get Big Results
A $40 million investment is being split between four cities—Memphis, Chicago, Akron, and Detroit—with the hopes of making big impacts for the community by revitalizing and/or repurposing exiting civic spaces.

Wouldn't It be Nice if Legislators Were Rewarded for Voting to Increase the Gas Tax?
Surprisingly, legislators are rewarded for supporting new gas taxes: they get reelected, according to a new analysis by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. What's more, they overwhelmingly hail from red states.

Detroit to Expand Bus Service
Good news for transit riders in Detroit—new buses and 24-hour routes are coming soon.

This November, Four Major Transportation Measures at Stake
If you live in Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, or Los Angeles, you have more to look forward to in November than choosing Donald or Hillary. Major decisions concerning regional transportation are on the line.

NTSB Investigates Horrific Bicycle Crashes Too
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of five bicyclists and injuring of four in June by a motorist on a rural road outside Kalamazoo, Michigan, were so horrendous that it caught the attention of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Good News, Finally, For Flint, Michigan Residents
There's good but guarded news on drinking water. Lead levels are lower, below the federal action threshold, but residents are advised not to drink it without using filters. A federal state of emergency in effect since January was lifted Sunday.

Detroit to Explore 'Pink Zoning' to Reduce Red Tape
Detroit is looking for ideas to make it easier to revitalize neighborhood main streets.

Traffic Safety Advocates Taking Action Into Their Own Hands
The San Francisco Transformation Agency is tired of watching cyclists and pedestrians die while the city promises more Vision Zero improvements.

Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Plan Back From the Dead
The board of the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority found a compromise and managed to get a regional transit plan onto the ballot for voters to consider in November.

A Call to Action After Detroit Suburbs Kill Regional Transportation Plan
A $4.7 billion regional transportation plan died at the hands of suburban interests around Detroit last week. An op-ed describes the action as the same kind of racial disharmony that defined the mid- and late-20 century.

Rustbelt Cities Continue to Make Play for Millennials
From St. Louis to Baltimore, the Rustbelt Cities are seeing a growing population of millennials as a possible cure to shrinking populations and stagnating economies.
5 Cities Launch the 'Racial Equity Here' Initiative
The idea behind the "Racial Equity Here" initiative: dismantle systematic racial inequality.

Pondering the Continued Existence of the 'Rust Belt'
A recent spate of articles has pondered the concepts and planning strategies at work in the region of the country described as the Rust Belt.

20th Anniversary of the Birmingham Master Plan: City Planners Created an Industry Standard
It has been 20 years since the city of Birmingham, Michigan approved the Birmingham 2016 Master Plan. Robert J. Gibbs, one of the planners on a team that included Andrés Duany, describes the decisions and process that contributed to the plan.
Getting to Know the Bike Lanes of Detroit
Where they are, what they're like, and what they mean for the city.

A Great Lakes Oil Spill Waiting to Happen
Operated by Canadian oil giant Enbridge, Line 5 is an underwater pipeline running beneath the Mackinac Straits, which connect Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas. A rupture in the aging pipes could mean catastrophe.

20-Minute Neighborhoods In Detroit
If Detroit needs to be "rebuilt" or "reimagined," why not do so around a walkable, convenient ideal? A compact Motor City where essential goods and services are available within a 20-minute walk?

National Initiative to Address Structural Racism in Cities
Five U.S. cities will examine how their government operations impact people of color, and come up with solutions to advance racial equity.

Military Veterans Deploy to Detroit to Take on Blight-Busting Volunteer Work
A volunteer organization called The Mission Continues connects veterans with volunteer work around the country. The healing power of their efforts goes both ways.

Michigan Tragedy Highlights Dangers of Rural Roads to Cyclists
Five of the nine experienced cyclists who were mowed down by a pickup truck on a rural road in Kalamazoo on June 7 died. While most bike crashes occur on urban roads, there are hidden dangers in biking in uncongested rural areas.
Pagination
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie