After some summer internships, UM-Dearborn student Briana Hurt was transformed from a person who’d never grown anything but house plants to someone who cared deeply about agriculture and its potential to improve communities.

Jeffrey Morenoff co-founded the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study in 2016. The longitudinal survey provides valuable insights into the perceptions and attitudes of people who live and work in Detroit. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan sought Morenoff’s expertise to investigate if and how the 2020 Census undercounted Detroit’s population.

The Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project moves to the Ross School, but has always been a collaborative effort involving faculty from Ford, Ross and other schools as well as students from across campus. This includes those from the College of Engineering, Stamps School of Art & Design, Law School and School of Information.

Tee Rushdan arranged private meetings with the mayor and his staff to craft an exemption for farmers, as well as addressing questions about water and land access. “I said, ‘A lot of cities – Philly, New York – have installed directors of urban agriculture,” Rushdan explains. “’Let’s get somebody in the city that’s focused on that.’ I didn’t know it was going to be me.”

Is it actually cheaper to own an electric vehicle instead of a gas vehicle? It depends. University of Michigan researchers say that where you live matters. For instance, a midsize SUV costs more to own in Detroit than in San Francisco—one of the most expensive cities in the country.

“The mission with Pluck is to replace grocery stores with farms. What that actually means is that we want to make it as easy for a farm or a small business to reach all the people in their community as it is for the people to get fresh produce.”
~ Chening Duker, Pluck.eco

For nearly a decade the Michigan–Mellon Project on the Egalitarian Metropolis has supported impactful programs and initiatives.

The University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit broke ground Thursday with high-energy musical performances and 13 shovels held by leaders of the partners bringing the project to fruition. “Today’s groundbreaking is far more than the promise of a new building. It is a profound expression of our sustained and lasting commitment to the city of Detroit, and of our faith in a shining future for the State of Michigan,” said U-M President Santa J. Ono.

An interprofessional liberal arts major, “Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good” will create learning leaders equipped to tackle complex issues that exist across all areas of society. LEAPS is a four-year program leading to a bachelor’s degree in education.