Featured Stories

Hitsville U.S.A., home of the Motown Museum

Hitsville vs. Soulsville: How Detroit and Memphis are embracing their soul music heritage

Glen Morren & Craig Meek Tuesday, July 21, 2015

There were two rival labels – and two cities – that defined soul music in the public consciousness. Arguing Hitsville (Detroit) vs. Soulsville (Memphis) is like arguing Beatles vs. Stones. But how do these two cities stack up when it comes to preserving and embracing their soul music heritage?

Arts, Building Communities, Detroit, Development, Museums, Music, Performing Arts, Reuse / Rebuild, Tours

New Center, Midtown

10 Years of Change: The evolution of Detroit's non-motorized transportation network

Aaron Mondry Tuesday, July 21, 2015

In just a decade, Detroit has grown from a city lacking non-motorized transportation options to one with a growing infrastructure for cycling and walking and a nascent bike culture.

10 Years of Change, Detroit, Green, Lifestyle, Placemaking, Public Policy, Transformational change

New rooms and fresh faces are driving a stand-up comedy revival in Detroit

David Sands Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Detroiters take our city seriously, but we're also funny as f#%k. Want proof? Check out the awesome stand-up comics working new rooms across Detroit.

Building Communities, Detroit, Lifestyle, Nightlife , Performing Arts

How one woman gave rise to Detroit's historic preservation movement

Amy Elliott Bragg Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Beuhlah Croxford is a name unfamiliar to most Detroiters, yet her legacy as an advocate of historic preservation is visible in buildings and neighborhoods across the city.

Architecture, Building Communities, Detroit, Public Policy, Sense of Place

Midtown, Downtown Detroit

Girls Rock Detroit empowers local girls to get loud

Patrick Dunn Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Girls Rock Detroit co-founder Melissa Coppola describes the new summer camp for local girls as "a fusion of activism and feminism and music education."

Building Communities, Detroit, Education and training, Music, Performing Arts

Downtown Detroit

The Innovation Institute at Henry Ford Hospital

Repurposing historic buildings on Detroit's medical campuses

MJ Galbraith Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Two local hospital systems have worked diligently to balance the preservation of the historic character of their campuses with the need to keep their facilities state-of-the-art.

Anchor Institutions, Building Communities, Detroit, Redevelopment, Reuse / Rebuild, Sense of Place

Midtown

Photos: Looking back on the Forward Cities Detroit convening

Nicole Rupersburg & Doug Coombe Friday, July 10, 2015

Last month, Forward Cities, a national learning collaborative among four cities undergoing transformation, held a convening in Detroit.

Detroit, Entrepreneurs, Food and Drink, Sense of Place, Small Business, Social innovation, Tours, Urban Leadership

Downtown Detroit, Midtown, Eastern Market, Southwest Detroit

Kevin Bingham stands next to a healthy ash tree in front of his home

13 years after emerald ash borer's arrival, metro Detroit communities embrace tree diversity

David Sands Tuesday, July 07, 2015

The emerald ash borer arrived in Michigan in 2002, and it quickly wreaked havoc on metro Detroit's urban canopy. Thirteen years later, local communities are embracing tree diversity to make up for the losses caused by this invasive species.

Blue/Green Infrastructure, Detroit, Forestry, Green, Invasive Species, Sense of Place

Using perch for bait along Fox Creek at Mariner's Park, this group of fishermen meet every Saturday in summer. Across the creek and behind the fence is Grosse Pointe Park.

Life on the Border: Blurring the lines that separate Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park

Nina Ignaczak Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Race and class collide along the stark border separating Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park. Can these two communities come together as neighbors?

Building Communities, Detroit, Public Policy, Sense of Place

Power to the people: New series to spotlight urban innovators

Claire Nelson & Jessie F. Hahn Tuesday, July 07, 2015

What do you think of when you hear the words "urban innovation"? Do you think of smart technology and clean energy? Or open data and civic tech? Maybe you think of entrepreneurship or creative placemaking or the future of mobility? It's easy to forget, but all of these have one thing in common: people.

Detroit, Urban Leadership

Frost: It's time to rekindle our romance with the Detroit idea

Bradford Frost Tuesday, July 07, 2015

When Bradford Frost first came to Detroit 10 years ago, a glow of hope, camaraderie and, yes, community attached itself to virtually every encounter in this city. It felt like an epic youthful romance. He argues that we need to rekindle that spirit in this essay, a part of Model D's "10 Years of Change" series.

10 Years of Change, Choosing Michigan, Detroit, Move to Detroit

Video: Healing the Great Lakes with green infrastructure

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Across the Great Lakes, water resource systems in urban areas have been heavily altered by human development. But a new vision is emerging; one in which cities move from fragmentation to integration, treating water as a single, holistic resource.

Blue/Green Infrastructure, Detroit, Great Lakes Stewardship, Greater Lakes, Public Policy, Sustainability, Video

The Simms family in front of their home in Morningside

Groups work to preserve affordable housing as development pressures grow in Detroit

Dennis Archambault Tuesday, June 30, 2015

As development pressures rise in some Detroit neighborhoods, groups are working to ensure that affordable housing options are preserved for the city's most vulnerable residents.

Building Communities, Detroit, Development, Neighborhood Innovation, Redevelopment

What exactly is Detroit's oldest bar, anyway? The answer might surprise you

Mickey Lyons Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Stop into any venerable bar in the city and you’re likely to encounter a heated debate over which bar truly is the oldest in Detroit. We set out to put an end to the debate, but it wasn't as simple a task as we thought.

Detroit, Food and Drink, Lifestyle, Sense of Place, Small Business, Tours

Despite Detroit's troubled history with parks, some spots shine for youth

David Sands Tuesday, June 30, 2015

While Detroit's park network has significant room for improvement, there are several local parks that stand out as great models of kid-friendly, community-enhancing public spaces.

Detroit, Michigan Nightlight, Placemaking, Sense of Place