Building Communities

Metro Detroit cities prepare for autonomous vehicles with smart infrastructure

Connected and autonomous vehicles require intelligent infrastructure for maximum efficiency. As Metro Detroit advances intelligent vehicles from test environments to roads, towns and cities are planning for the many changes ahead.

Latest in Building Communities
SMART bus in downtown Detroit
OPINION: To improve regional transit, Wayne and Washtenaw counties must consider a separate plan

Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, argues that with Macomb and Oakland counties effectively withdrawing from regional transit, it's time for Wayne and Washtenaw to be an example and invest independently. 

Plans for Veridian at County Farm
The ABCs of affordability in Washtenaw County

Affordability is a hot topic in the Ann Arbor area, and with good reason. But the debate involves many complex and ill-defined concepts – including "affordability" itself. We broke down the basics.

Tad Wysor
New citizen-led coalition seeks to give all Ypsi residents a voice in future development

Rising for Economic Democracy in Ypsi is working to engage all interested Ypsi residents in developing a community benefits ordinance for the city.

Marsha Battle Philpot pointing out her father's record store and her father in Curtis Lewis' mural at Bert's Warehouse Theatre
Hipster history: Unpacking the stories of metro Detroit’s legendary cultural scenes

In an effort to savor the stories of our rich cultural past, but also to better understand our area today, we dug into the history of the vibrant scenes in Paradise Valley, the Cass Corridor, Ann Arbor, and Palmer Park.

Construction in the future performance space at Cahoots
Take a look inside Cahoots, downtown Ann Arbor’s elaborate new coworking space

The new business takes up nearly an entire downtown block and is set to include a public cafe and a bocce ball court.

UMS will present "Us/Them" Jan. 24 and 28 as part of its "No Safety Net" series.
What are you most excited for in Washtenaw County in 2018?

We asked each of our staffers to weigh in, and the results ranged from new restaurants to autonomous vehicles to new outdoor recreation opportunities.

VIDEO: On the Ground Ypsi’s closing panel discussion on Ypsi’s past and future

We wrapped up the initial five-month run of On the Ground Ypsi with a panel discussion at the Ypsi Freighthouse. View the full discussion here, featuring moderator David Rutledge and panelists Decky Alexander, Bryan Foley, Mark Maynard, and Lynne Settles.

Black Ypsi sign on the First Ward School.
Black Ypsilanti Historical Signage Project moves toward spring kickoff

Four signs commemorating various elements of Ypsi's black history have been completed, and organizers hope to finalize three more in the next few months.

Bryan Foley at the Parkridge Community Center
What are Ypsi’s greatest strengths and challenges?

We're wrapping up the initial five-month run of On the Ground Ypsi with a panel discussion on Ypsi's past and future. We asked the community leaders on our panel to weigh in on Ypsi's greatest strengths and challenges.

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