Michigan

Mass Vaccination

Austria to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination

Life for the unvaccinated in many European countries is becoming more difficult as infections surge. Austria will take the ultimate step in February and require residents to become inoculated unless medically exempt. A lockdown begins Monday.

November 22, 2021 - The New York Times

Rescue Bus

Driver Shortages and Service Reductions: The Crisis in Public Transit Continues

While transit systems around the country had reason to celebrate the new funding made available in the federal infrastructure bill, long-term concerns about operational capacity have not been resolved.

November 18, 2021 - Detroit Free Press

Rendering of Commongrounds Cooperative building

Mixed-Use Co-Op Demonstrates a New Ownership Model

Owned by its tenants and local community members, Traverse City's Commongrounds Cooperative will feature a craft distillery, a food hall, and a childcare facility, among other amenities.

November 8, 2021 - NextCity

Electric Vehicle Charging

Five Midwest States to Develop EV Charging Network

The governors hope the agreement will create jobs, reduce emissions, and encourage more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in their states.

October 7, 2021 - NPR

Downtown Anchorage with the snow covered Chugach Mountains in the background.

Alaska Activates Crisis Standards of Care

Daily new COVID cases per capita in Alaska are the nation's highest. The crisis standards enable overwhelmed hospitals to ration care. Gov. Mike Dunleavy recognized the crisis yet saw no need to take steps to reduce coronavirus transmission.

September 27, 2021 - The New York Times

An illustration of rain clouds gathered over the U.S. Midwest, with the city of Detroit called out on the map.

Flooding in the Midwest Shows There's No Refuge From Climate Change

While projections say areas of the U.S. Midwest around the Great Lakes will become more hospitable as the climate changes, stormwater and flooding is still a challenge in a surprising number of locations.

September 16, 2021 - Yahoo News

Two people walk down a residential street in ankle high water after a summer-time flood in Ann Arbor.

A Natural Approach to Stormwater Proposed in Michigan

The realities of climate change have been on full display in Michigan this summer, and a crusading drain commissioner is pushing for stormwater infrastructure that uses natural features to capture and reuse water during extreme weather.

September 1, 2021 - WXYZ

Detroit Vacant Properties

Detroit Residents Find it Hard to Access Land Bank Properties

Longtime residents say the city is not fulfilling its goal of keeping vacant parcels in the hands of locals as property values rise steeply.

August 19, 2021 - Outlier Media

Flood waters overwhelm a park, full of empty benches, on a sunny day.

Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change

The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.

June 30, 2021 - Daily Detroit

SMART Bus

Opinion: Detroit Area Stunted by Lack of Regional Transit

Improved connectivity and reliability in the region's public transit could stimulate growth and help build a more vibrant local economy.

June 21, 2021 - Michigan Advance

 Interstate 275 southbound at the w:Interstate96 split and M-14 junction

Detroit-Area I-275 Project Set to Start Work in July

MDOT will begin to repair and modernize a 24-mile segment of Interstate 275 this summer.

June 11, 2021 - HometownLife

HUD

Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Announced for 5 U.S. Cities

A federal grant program designed to support holistic and socially-focused planning projects at the neighborhood level has announced the winners of its most recent round of competitive grant funding.

June 2, 2021 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

New York City Traffic Cop

Reopening New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: Is May 19 Too Soon?

Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping in the U.S. Govs. Andrew Cuomo, Phil Murphy, and Ned Lamont jointly announced on May 3 that their states would lift most restrictions on May 19. Experts and residents have mixed reactions.

May 11, 2021 - The New York Times

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit as a Model for 'Building Back Better'

Cities have more experience, and examples, than they might realize when it comes to reinventing systems of investment and governance to recover from the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 11, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Los Angeles, California

Two Demographic Firsts, Both Losses, for California

The nation's most populous state learned from the Census Bureau last month that it would lose a congressional district for the first time in its history. On Friday, it revealed that 2020 was the first year since 1850 to experience a population loss.

May 10, 2021 - CALmatters

COVID-19 Pandemic

Pandemic Still Surging in Parts of the U.S.

Bloomberg News' 'Evening Briefing' on April 29 looked at the global pandemic, noting the horrific scenes in India, Brazil's rising death toll, and added, "Coronavirus mutations are also wreaking havoc in America." Oregon is their focus.

May 2, 2021 - Bloomberg News

COVID-19 Pandemic

Pandemic to End in California on June 15, Governor Decides

Gov. Gavin Newsom has foreseen the end of the pandemic that has killed over 61,000 Californians and has taken a page from his Republican counterpart in the second most populous state by setting a date when all restrictions will be lifted.

April 21, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Pandemic Public Health

CDC to Gov. Whitmer: Time to Shut Down, Not Surge Vaccines

Michigan is on fire—a coronavirus variant is spreading rapidly among younger people, including children, yet high-risk activities, including youth sports and indoor dining, remain open. CDC Director Walensky addressed the conflagration Monday.

April 14, 2021 - The New York Times

Book in the Park

Fourth Surge May Be a Second Wave

The CDC announced on April 7 that a coronavirus variant first detected in the U.K is now dominant in the U.S. "In some ways, we're almost in a new pandemic," said one prominent public health expert earlier about the more transmissible variant.

April 12, 2021 - The New York Times

Pandemic Public Health

Pandemic Geography: What's Going on in Michigan?

Public health experts may speculate about whether the U.S. is headed for a fourth surge or moderate increase in cases, but the resurgence is well underway in Michigan where the virus was spreading the fastest. Only N.Y. has more daily infections.

April 4, 2021 - Bridge Michigan

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.