Research

Detroit is midstride in its great comeback, emerging like a phoenix in full burn. In a city which has suffered so much loss, not only are community leaders and private investors acting to salvage what remains, but they are making the city whole again by knitting together gaps with new...

On October 10, the Michigan League for Public Policy hosted a half-day forum, Race, Poverty & Policy: Creating an Equitable Michigan. We were blown away by many of the speakers and resources so we wanted to share a few with our members: What is racial justice? - Keynote speaker and...

Downtown Pontiac has tremendous potential - planners said following three-days of intensive study by the Congress of the New Urbanism. Three days of conceptualization and team effort culminated in Sunday's meeting to conclude the Congress of New Urbanism Legacy Project charrette in Pontiac, Michigan. Intended to reimagine Pontiac's downtown space,...

Law enforcement officials participate in a panel discussion at the Race and Law Enforcement in the Urban Community forum in Saginaw Nov. 14, 2015. (View additional photos from the event here) More than 100 people attended a highly successful forum in Saginaw on Race and Law Enforcement in the Urban...

Placemaking is such a buzz word of 2014 - and that's a good thing! Placemaking awareness has been on the rise for the past few years, but themes, ideas, and policies are now more generally accepted and promoted. Placemaking is something people can relate to, want to talk about, and...

Communities prioritizing talent attraction and retention should focus on investing in equality, says a new report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). HRC's Municipal Equality Index recently published its 2014 evaluation of municipal LGBT equality laws across the country. According to the report, residents in communities with 'vibrant gay and...

When I think of Europe, I think of castles, fountains, sculptures, and people sitting at charming outdoor cafes on cobblestone streets sipping coffee or an aperitif. (What is an aperitif? I don't know--but it fits in with my image). One thing I never would have associated with Europe is lack...

Recently, a team of League staff members visited the city of Sault Ste. Marie on two separate missions: two staffers were there to film a new Town Gown "vlog" (video blog) on the city's partnership with Lake Superior State University, and its vision to become a "university town" rather than...

Imagine a natural disaster knocking out your local power and telephone grids. A city in the Republic of Congo has planned ahead for that potential problem, with a system that combines solar-powered street lighting and internet access in a wireless configuration.