“We’ve had a wide range of committed, passionate, very intelligent U-M students who are willing to use their time and talents to help our neighborhood and our mission. That’s priceless.”
~ Debbie Fisher, executive director of HOPE Village Revitalization

Riverside communities have displayed remarkable resilience through the myriad trials of the past 75 years, and this project aims to partner with these communities as they continue reshaping the shared narratives that will lay the groundwork for a sustainable post-carbon future for the region.

In 2015, U-M researchers at the Graham Sustainability Institute were awarded a $3 million grant from the Erb Family Foundation to determine the relative contributions of various phosphorus sources, both urban and agricultural, in the Detroit River watershed.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Water Center were awarded a $3 million grant from the Erb Family Foundation to determine the Detroit River’s contributions to algae blooms that plague Lake Erie each summer.

Focus HOPE + Graham Sustainability Institute In 2011, the Detroit civil and human rights organization Focus: HOPE expressed interest in working with the University of Michigan to determine how to…

Alleys, vacant lots and underutilized urban spaces hold great potential for fostering more sustainable cities.