Famous urban planner? Yep, and she's coming to Detroit

Looks like Detroit brought in the big guns of urban planning to help with the down-sizing issue. Toni Griffin, the director of community development in Newark, N.J., has been hired by the Kresge Foundation to help Mayor Dave Bing reel the city in. Interesting little arrangement.

Excerpt from the Detroit News:

A private foundation has enlisted, and subsidized, a noted urban planner to help downsize Detroit.

The Kresge Foundation confirmed Wednesday it is paying the undisclosed salary for Toni Griffin, the director of community development in Newark, N.J., who has led efforts to revive its downtown.

Griffin is expected to begin this month under an unusual arrangement. She'll work for the Troy-based foundation but serve Detroit's planning and economic development department as it draws plans that could dramatically reshape the city.

"The question of how the city thinks about the future, its form and functions are so large that it seems to me any help that Toni can provide will be invaluable," said Rip Rapson, president of the Kresge Foundation. "My sense is it's going to be an extremely valuable asset to the city. It's up to the city to figure how to use that asset."

Read the entire article here.
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