Metro Matters

Metro Matters is reorganizing! Check back soon for updates.

Woodward is metro Detroit's Main Street, so it's fitting that it should be the longest Complete Street in the world!

New Plan for Woodward Ave Includes Photos via Woodward Avenue Action Association A new "Complete Streets" plan for Woodward Avenue include the M-1 Rail, bus rapid transit, and what planners call "a Parisian Boulevard" in a...

A philosopher who embodied her own ideas, Grace Lee Boggs was known as much for her wisdom and ability to love as she was for her civil rights leadership. Metro Detroit is lucky to have benefitted from her decades of influence and activism. She impacted countless lives, who will carry forward her legacy of social justice and progress. She was a revolutionary, and she will be missed.

Grace Lee Boggs, longtime Detroit activist, dies at age 100 Grace Lee Boggs, an activist and philosopher known internationally for her work promoting social change, died Monday at her home in Detroit, at age 100.

Many people think Detroit can't be gentrifying because it's too poor or too spacious—but that idea is wrong, says Metro Matters research fellow and University of Michigan junior Dominic Russel. In this week's Metromode, Russel writes that gentrification is here and it's regional, and he puts forward policy solutions from places that are actively addressing displacement in all its forms. Check out his column (and learn more about our research at SayTheGWord.com):

Say the G-Word: Gentrification in metro Detroit is real Metromatters' Dominic Russel writes that regional collaboration is required to combat the negative effects of gentrification in metro Detroit.

Thank you to all the guests and sponsors who joined with us to proclaim: !

From the Metro Matters staff to everyone who attended Metromorphosis last night: thank you for making our relaunch a smashing success! If you missed the event, don't worry—we've got plenty more photos and info on the way.

We'd especially like to thank our wonderful sponsors for making last night possible: UHY Advisors, Internet Essentials from Comcast, Giffels Webster, Level One Bank, Plante Moran, Howard L. Shifman PC, Royal Oak Recycling, and AXA Advisors. And of course we can't forget our in-kind printing and beverage sponsors: PIP Printing and Marketing Services, Arbor Brewing Company, and U.S. Wine Imports.

Last night was a momentous occasion, but the real work is just beginning.

ICYMI: We're changing our name! You might notice things look a little different around here... As we put the final touches on our transition to Metro Matters, take a moment to review our original post about why we're changing and what we're planning:

Metro Matters: Our Next Evolution | Michigan Suburbs Alliance Metro Matters: Our Next Evolution Posted by Conan Smith on February 2, 2015. Tweet More than a decade ago, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance was formed to represent the interests of metro Detroit’s neglected inner ring suburbs. We’ve served those cities by helping them work together when it makes sense…

Metro Detroit is home to wonderful diversity, but remains heavily segregated. We need policies that create opportunity and foster better equity, no matter which zip code you call home.

Map shows just how segregated metro Detroit is New maps show the racial segregation of America -- and Detroit is "among the most segregated cities in America."

What can other regions teach metro Detroit about transit? Our very own board member Robin Boyle shares his observations:

World offers Detroit examples of good urban transit Transit options elsewhere include inter-city trains, subways, streetcars and trams, buses, bicycle and walking paths.

Are you a mobility enthusiast and a writer? Mode Shift: Move Together needs you! They're looking for freelancers to create all kinds of content:

The conversation about gentrification in metro Detroit often stalls because people don't agree on whether it's actually an issue in this region. We think it's time for a more productive dialogue. When we say "gentrification", what do we really mean? And what can we do about it?

Say the G-Word: Gentrification in Metro Detroit What gentrification means in metro Detroit, why we need to be talking about it, and what we should be doing about it.