Brave New Voices: Passing the Mic to a New Generation of Detroit Slam Poets
Brave New Voices gives talented Detroit teens a stage, a mike and an opportunity to find their voices and become part of the city's slam poet scene.
Downtown Detroit
Detroit has become a favorite test site for urban revival
Detroit has become a point of interest for not only urban decay but also urban revival.Excerpt:Studying Detroit and its problems appears to be a growth industry.This spring and summer, the British Broadcasting Corp. and the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service were filming documentaries about the plight of Detroit and the city's hopes for a revival. A gaggle of other documentarians and journalists were doing the same.Local experts say Detroit has achieved something unique. It has become the test case for all sorts of theories on urban decay and all sorts of promising ideas about reviving shrinking cities."It's unbelievable," said Sue Mosey, president of the University Cultural Center Association, who has been interviewed recently by two separate PBS crews and an Austrian journalist writing about Detroit."All of us have been inundated with all of these people who somehow think that because we're so bottomed out and so weak-market, that this is this incredible opportunity," Mosey said.Read the entire article here.
Could pay-as-you-ride bikes work in Detroit?
Bike sharing systems in Detroit? Nope, not yet. But, hey... you never know. We're getting more and more bike friendly each year. Well, maybe not friendly, but there are definitely more cyclists out there than five years ago.Excerpt:An important element of sustainability is environmentally conscious forms of transportation, like rail, of which Portland has been a great advocate. Now, the city hopes to further encourage another popular green form of transportation: bicycling. Portland is without a doubt seen as a bike-friendly city and was awarded the platinum-level award as a bicycle-friendly community – the first large U.S. city to be recognized as such—by the League of American Bicyclists. The city is researching a bike rental system that, if carried through, could make it even easier to travel and commute around the city. Portland transportation officials are currently studying other systems in place around the world to see if bike sharing would be a worthwhile project to pursue in Portland. Washington D.C. currently has the only bike-sharing system in the United States and other cities like Denver, San Francisco, and Chicago are also interested in rolling out their own.Read the entire article here.
Rosa Parks Transit Center could be spark for more improvements
The Rosa Parks Transit center may bring about more improvements to downtown and Detroit's transit world.Excerpt:With Michigan’s largest intermodal transit center now in place, the Detroit Department of Transportation and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation should finally finish work on establishing a joint information line and printing joint schedules and route maps for major lines like Woodward, Gratiot, Jefferson, Michigan, Grand River, Fort and Van Dyke. Other changes that should have happened long ago include transfer passes between buses and the People Mover, and joint purchasing by SMART and DDOT of fuel and other products.Local and state shotcallers, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Mayor Dave Bing, dedicated the $22.5-million center this morning at Michigan and Cass, including 15 bus bays for city routes and space for connections with the suburban bus system, Transit Windsor Tunnel buses and a taxi stand. It’s a sleek, fresh-looking structure, encased by aluminum-framed windows with restrooms, a cashier station for bus fares and information, security booths, 24-hour video surveillance and a transit police office. Outside, under swooping canopies, riders will sit on benches and read arrival times on electronic signs. Unlike many structures in downtown Detroit, this one is open and inviting.Read the entire article here.
Check out these short videos by the City Council and Charter Commission candidates
The key to a healthy Detroit is strong leadership and that starts with smart voters. Check out the videos and educate yourselves on who's running for City Council and Charter Commision. Read the entire article here.
Tweet of the Week: Huge rainbows and ‘Hung’
Welcome to this weeks edition of Tweet of the Week. What have you been tweeting about this week? A lot!Tons of Metro-area twittizens were talking about the new HBO series set in Detroit. We haven't seen it yet, but we want to now that we've heard what @jamieezramark has to say about it... @jamieezramark: HBO's new series, HUNG: Not only set in Detroit, but they show Lafayette Coney Island in the opening. "Chilli-cheese dogs, zip zip!!!" Lots of Detroiters have also been keeping twitter-tabs on the unseasonal weather we've been having and trying to stay in the spirit of summer despite some cooler rainy days. @aboutpunkmusic: Watching The Beggars play in the rain behind The Old Miami - welcome to summer in Detroit! http://twitpic.com/ay3fuEven if you don't like a rainy day or two, hopefully you've caught one of the amazing rainbows shining over the city this past week. @anasat: looking at a HUGE detroit rainbow in the sideview mirrorPretty amazing, aren't they? Almost as amazing as the chain of logic contained within this tweet from @MichaelRHerman: @MichaelRHerman: Saw a homemade Detroit Sucks t-shirt. Which means someone feels strong enough to make one Detroit Sucks t-shirt. Post-Bush USA is weird.We're just going to let you all ponder that one for a bit. @StilletoSundae: is watching a documentary on youtube about the '60s...I can't imagine what a "love-in" would be like in Detroit.Hmmmm... what would that look like? Keep reading and keep tweeting. See you next week!
Vote and vote smart: Free Press breaks down their endorsements, importance of this election
The Detroit Free Press broke down their endorsements and the importance of August's primary and November's election.Excerpt:For at least the last four years, the Detroit City Council has been an embarrassment to the electorate it purports to serve. It doesn't have to be that way. Detroit's Aug. 4 primary offers voters an extraordinary opportunity to select a team of ethical, public-spirited leaders that is equal to their city's extraordinary challenges.Read the entire article here.
Charles Phoenix visits Detroit’s ‘Stuffed Animal House’
Writer and mid-century and American culture buff Charles Phoenix visits Detroit, calls it Detroitland, and discovers that art is everywhere.Excerpt:Before I could snap myself back to reality I got back on the People Mover-Monorail bound for the next stop. Just steps away from the station I found myself standing before what has to be Detroitland’s ultimate architectural treasure, and the most colorful art deco skyscraper anywhere, the Guardian Building. It’s more like what I would call a skyscraping temple. Completed in 1929, inside and out the 44- story super structure is sampler platter of Native American, Aztec and Art Deco design details often highlighted with orange, yellow and turquoise tiles. Then I walked around the corner and saw a sign atop a storefront that simply read: ART IS EVERYWHERE. I was stopped dead in my tracks because in Detroitland art is everywhere. Here’s to the Stuffed Animal House, the other spellbinding attractions in Detroitland and YOU! Read the entire article here.
Detroit photographer Piper Carter on the cover of African American Family Magazine
Detroit photographer Piper Carter graces the cover of African American Family Magazine.Excerpt:Piper Carter is a Detroit native and an acclaimed fashion photographer whose work has been published in the likes of British Elle, Spin and French Vogue. Every Tuesday evening, you’ll find Carter at 5 Elements helping to produce The Foundation, a hip hop event that unapologetically focuses on women.Find out where to get the article at the African American Family Magazine web site here.
