Featured Stories

Powering the Mitten: How does electricity get to your smartphone?

Nina Ignaczak Tuesday, January 27, 2015

You plug in your smartphone and voila -- it's charged up and ready to whisk you off to cyberspace. But how exactly do those electrons get into your phone? Read on to find out.

Energy Reliability , Powering the Mitten

Detroit restaurants and farmers are working together to expand options for locavores

Aaron Mondry Tuesday, January 27, 2015

As Detroit restaurants become more dedicated to sourcing locally and Detroit farmers work harder to meet demand, the locavore's dining options are expanding.

Detroit, Dining, Food and Drink, Food Economy, Green, Lifestyle, Shop Local, Small Business, Sustainability

Corktown, Near East Side, Eastern Market

After two-year fellowship, dedication to improving the city keeps three fellows in Detroit

Walter Wasacz Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Three members of the Detroit Revitalization Fellows inaugural cohort are committed to continuing their work to improve the city well beyond their fellowship term.

Building Communities, Detroit, Detroit Talent, Urban Leadership, Wayne State University

Businesses put best face forward with help of local fa�ade improvement programs

Amy Swift Monday, January 26, 2015

A building's visual order can have an inordinate impact on a community, which is why a number of area community development organizations have used façade improvement programs to battle blight and spur neighborhood economic development.

Architecture, Detroit, Development, Placemaking, Redevelopment, Sense of Place, Small Business, Transformational change

Woodbridge, Midtown, East Side, The Villages, New Center, Southwest Detroit

Opinion: It's time to demystify the process of acquiring land in the city of Detroit

Jill Ferrari Tuesday, January 20, 2015

To help inform Detroiters looking to acquire vacant land, The Greening of Detroit, Michigan Community Resources, and the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights have collaborated in developing a series of workshops called "Land Forum."

Building Communities, Detroit, Placemaking, Redevelopment, Sense of Place, Transformational change

Fellowship helps Detroiters find their way home

Walter Wasacz Tuesday, January 20, 2015

They say you can't go home again, but three Detroit Revitalization Fellows have used their fellowship to get back to Michigan and do meaningful work in the city.

Detroit, Detroit Talent, Move to Detroit, Transformational change, Urban Leadership, Wayne State University

Detroit SOUP to celebrate fifth anniversary with party and fundraiser at Ford Field

Matthew Lewis Monday, January 19, 2015

Since 2010, Detroit SOUP has hosted 90 dinners and awarded over $85,000 to Detroiters with ideas to improve their communities. On Feb. 15, SOUP celebrates its fifth anniversary with a party and fundraiser at Ford Field.

Arts, Brightmoor, Building Communities, Detroit, Dining, Entrepreneurs, Fundraising, Job Creation, Social innovation, Social Networking

Downtown Detroit

How 'smart' is Michigan's electrical grid?

Nina Ignaczak Tuesday, January 13, 2015

You may have a smart meter on your house, but what's so "smart" about it? We explore Michigan's foray into the "smart grid" and how it affects you.

Energy Reliability

Discuss social entrepreneurship in Detroit at Jan. 19 Open City event

Model D Staff Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Engage with a panel of social entrepreneurs working in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 19 at "Be the Change," the first Open City event of 2015.

Building Communities, Detroit, Entrepreneurs, Social innovation, Social Networking, Speaker Series, Urban Leadership

Downtown Detroit

Nicole Curtis, host of HGTV's Rehab Addict, invests again in Detroit for new season

Glen Morren Thursday, January 08, 2015

The sixth season of Rehab Addict premieres Jan. 8 and will feature Nicole Curtis's latest Detroit project, a house on East Grand Boulevard near Belle Isle on the city's east side.

Architecture, Detroit, Redevelopment, Reuse / Rebuild, Transformational change

Near East Side, Southwest Detroit

Powering the Mitten: Report warns of looming electricity capacity shortfall

Nina Ignaczak Tuesday, January 06, 2015

Michigan may be facing electric generation capacity shortfalls as soon as 2016, according to a new report. What does that mean for the state and how can it be avoided?

Energy, Energy Reliability , Powering the Mitten, Public Policy

Five things to look forward to in 2015

Matthew Lewis Tuesday, January 06, 2015

Last year was a big one for the city of Detroit. Looking forward to 2015, here are five things we're excited about.

Architecture, Detroit, Development, Placemaking, Redevelopment, Sense of Place, Transformational change

Video: Looking back on three years of Detroit innovation

Detroit Lives! Tuesday, January 06, 2015

For the past three years, our partners at Urban Innovation Exchange have been following hundreds of small projects making a big impact in Detroit. In this video, Detroit Lives! captures the essence of that work.

Detroit, Entrepreneurs, Placemaking, Sense of Place, Social innovation, Transformational change, Urban Leadership, Video

Abick's Bar, a neighborhood institution for more than a century

Mickey Lyons Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Detroit's oldest continuously family-operated bar is mourning the loss of its matriarch, Manya Soviak, but a new generation of the family is leading the neighborhood institution into its second century of existence.

Building Communities, Detroit, Entrepreneurs, Food and Drink, Lifestyle, Sense of Place, Small Business

Southwest Detroit

Philly residents and police working together

Police-community partnerships offer way to improve neighborhood safety

Brandon Alcorn Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Dozens of communities across the U.S. have formed effective, ongoing partnerships with the police departments that have improved safety and trust between residents and officers.

Building Communities, Detroit, Public Policy