Forbes says SE Michigan is among the 5 worst places in the US to find a job. W2 jobs, that is. Not only do 60% of businesses employ 1099 workers, their ranks are quickly growing --particularly in communities like Ann Arbor and Royal Oak. So, how does the state accommodate this new class of highly educated, independent employee?
The old philosophy was knock it down and build anew. But what do you do with polluted or blighted land no one wants to take responsibility for? Creative economic incentives are transforming these unwanted brownfields into successful (and sometimes unexpected) properties.
Everything old is new again. And profitable. Historic preservation is more than just a longing for the old ways. It can be an economic driver for those SE Michigan communities that know how to leverage what they've got with where they're going.
The need for quality rental units goes beyond new urbanist ideals. It also means dollars where you least expect them. Michigan just passed one of the most ambitious film incentive packages in the nation. Hollywood's come calling. And guess what they're looking for? Modern rentals in walkable downtown settings.
Not only is Cooley Law School bringing Oakland and Macomb County (combined pop: 2 million residents) its first law school, it's also created a 'green'-minded campus for its students. Now comes the hard part: convincing its graduating professionals to stay in Michigan. Metromode asks how Cooley intends to do this, and other tough questions.
Monday morning's big light rail announcement would mean great things for Metro Detroiters yearning for a transit alternative. If the plan comes to fruition, it would be boom time for the Woodward Corridor.
Some SE Michigan communities are determined to drop their rustbelt in favor of something a bit more au natural. But it's not trendiness that inspires cities like Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Wyandotte to implement the holy trinity of sustainability --wind, solar, conservation-- but rather the greenbacks they'll save by doing so.
As various for-profit wireless initiatives push back access dates and struggle to work out their business model, locals in Ypsilanti are taking matters into their own hands and creating an ambitious community-based Wi-Fi network that is expanding from the city's downtown to Depot Town.
Basho said, "Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home." Some Metro Detroiters are taking those words to heart and making their house the adventure.
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