“I’m constantly thinking about equity and how can the good fortunes be spread and go into the neighborhoods that haven’t been touched so much. That’s really important.”
~ Margaret Dewar

The Detroit School was created in 2012 by University of Michigan Professor Margaret Dewar and three PhD students in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, who wanted to view urban planning through the lens of shrinking populations. 

While further research is needed, the U-M experts believe their findings—published in Science of The Total Environment—could provide evidence for the Environmental Protection Agency to ease some of the costly abatement burden for demolitions for cities around the country.

Despite the efforts of local government and nonprofits in the home repair ecosystem, Poverty Solutions’ research found there are simply not enough resources available to meet demand in Detroit.

The late Mary Chase Perry Stratton founded Pewabic Pottery in 1903. Her legacy, like her influence, remains a force. She received a prestigious honorary Master of Arts degree in 1930, established the first ceramic arts studio at the University of Michigan during World War II, helped built its art museum’s collection and penned a ceramics text that is still in use by artists today, cementing her reputation as an innovator and, interestingly, as a teacher. 

As director of U-M’s Ginsberg Center, Mary Jo Callan helps make connections on a daily basis, pairing community partners addressing social concerns, such as nonprofit organizations, schools, and local governments, across Southeast Michigan and Metro Detroit with students and faculty at U-M to support their work.

“Perhaps more importantly, health and housing work in Detroit is ultimately racial justice work. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and what I do is motivated by the overt and disturbing inequities that exist in the Detroit metropolitan region… I hope that my work can bring some material benefit to the people of Detroit.”
~ Alexa Eisenberg

UM-Dearborn Assistant Professor Natalie Sampson’s research into public health issues in Detroit’s Delray neighborhood has spanned a decade — and has begun to play a role in shaping public policy. But when talking about the years of work, she definitely prefers shining the spotlight on the community and her partners.

The podcast, called Detroit’s Daily Docket, is a partnership between the medical examiner and University of Michigan Medicine pathology department. The goal, officials said, is to provide “education for the lay public and armchair detective,” as well as highlight the relationship between the university and Wayne County.