Michigan

How Detroit's Mayor Attempts to Save the Great American City

With the challenges facing American cities of tight budgets and lost revenues, Major Bing openly asks how to shrink the size of Detroit and makes an open call for plans, concepts, and strategies to save the failing city.

February 10, 2011 - Washington Post

A Very Thorough Understanding of a City's Streets

One woman in Lansing, Michigan has started a walking mission to explore and document every stretch of street in her city -- a total of more than 400 miles.

February 10, 2011 - Lansing State Journal

Detroit: No 'Food Desert'

James Griffioen debunks the myth that his hometown is in want of grocery stores.

January 29, 2011 - Urbanophile

Against 'Ruin Porn'

The city of Detroit is increasingly characterized through imagery of its abandoned and decaying buildings. This piece from The New Republic says it's time to stop.

January 24, 2011 - The New Republic

Detroit Considers Massive School Closures

The city of Detroit is considering a plan to close nearly half of its public schools and greatly increase its class sizes.

January 18, 2011 - The Detroit News

Youth Flow into Detroit and Spur Investment

Amid talk of downsizing and abandonment, a new surge of young investors has been moving into Detroit and revitalizing its economy.

January 11, 2011 - The Detroit Free Press

Dreaming Detroit: Decline to Renaissance

The state of Detroit is alarming, particularly in its continued dependence on cars, but there is hope that the city could reinvent itself as an ecological metropolis, says Jeffrey Kenworthy of the Curtin University of Technology.

January 10, 2011 - Jeff Kenworthy

Inside Detroit's Abandoned Iconic Buildings

This slideshow from The Guardian looks inside some of Detroit's historic and decaying buildings.

January 3, 2011 - Guardian

Considering Bankruptcy in Michigan

The tiny city of Hamtramck, Michigan, is edging closer to bankruptcy, as budget woes grow.

December 28, 2010 - The New York Times

Small-Scale Development in Detroit

Reviving a city like Detroit requires small steps, writes Roberta Brandes Gratz, who looks at block-level projects in the city.

December 28, 2010 - Citiwire

Shrinking Cities Means Shuttered Churches

The Archdiocese of Detroit is working with city planners and local demographers as they develop their plans for Catholic parish closures.

December 22, 2010 - The Detroit News

Township vs. Billionaire

A township of 3,000 people is waging war on a proposal from a billionaire energy magnate that would turn a beloved stretch of Lake Michigan coastline into condos, a hotel, and a golf course.The battle persists, even as town funding has become scarce.

December 21, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

Bing on Detroit, 18 Months into Office

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has been in office for a year and a half. Some progress in the troubled city has been made, but much work remains, as is revealed in this interview.

December 10, 2010 - The Detroit Free Press

'Aerotropolis' Takes Off in Michigan

Officials hope to attract shipping and transportation companies to a new 60,000 acre development near the Detroit Metro and Willow Run airports.

December 6, 2010 - Detroit Free Press

Proposed Detroit-Windsor Bridge Tabled

A Michigan Senate committee voted against a bill to create a public-private partnership to oversee land acquisition, construction and management of the planned Detroit River International Crossing, putting the project on hold until at least 2011.

December 3, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

Midwest Industrial Cities Re-emerge as Clean Energy Centers

Utilizing skilled labor forces, existing manufacturing facilities and generous public incentives, Michigan and Ohio are becoming solar power leaders.

December 2, 2010 - The New York Times

Mayor Seeks Funds for City From Unlikely Source

The mayor of Mt. Clemens, Michigan is turning to an unlikely source to help pay for stretched city services -- local non-profits. With 42% of city property tax exempt, Mayor Dempsey is asking non-profits to pay as if they were taxed.

November 22, 2010 - Detroit Free Press

Rethinking Detroit

Detroit reporter John Gallagher's new book "Reimagining Detroit" considers what it will take to remake The Motor City into a model that will work for the future.

November 17, 2010 - Model D

"Urban Renewal Was Never Really A Planner's Idea"

So says APA President Mitchell Silver, AICP, in a recent interview. "...but planners were the agents, they had to implement it."

November 5, 2010 - Model D Newsletter

New Republican Midwest Govs Not Of Same Mind On Rail Investments

While new Wisconsin and Ohio Republican governors are not supportive of high speed rail and my try to steer their state's high speed rail awards for road purposes, the new Republican governors of Iowa and Michigan appear to be Amtrak supporters.

November 5, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

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.

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.