Midtown : Features

More than 50 years before Dutch elm disease, a treacherous caterpillar pest spurred the city to action on an ambitious plan for its street trees.

The Cross Stitch Creative program gives College for Creative Studies design students first-hand experience in working for and learning from an industry-leading shopper marketing agency. But that's not the end of the story. 

Ideas from the sixth annual summit of the Detroit Food Policy Council, which took place last week.

Detroit and Medellin, Columbia, are very different cities, but there's a lot they can learn from one another when it comes to involving citizens in equitable development.

Original manuscripts by Mark Twain and Laura Ingalls Wilder, George Washington's diary, and some of the earliest writing ever can be found in the special collections of the Detroit Public Library.

By building on-campus housing and improving spaces for students and the public, Wayne State University and the College for Creative Studies are quickly losing their reputations as commuter schools and becoming places that are active 24 hours a day.

Behind every great historic restoration project, there's a great architect. In the case of many of downtown's most prominent buildings, that person is Brian Rebain.

"Detroit City of Design cannot simply be a moniker or a logo," write Olga Stella and Ellie Schneider of Detroit Creative Corridor Center. "It must be an attitude backed up by collective action." That's why they want to hear from you.

Undeniably, Detroit's local food movement has exploded. But can it one day feed the entire city?

From a teen hangout featuring a makerspace to creative writing workshops for pre-teens, the Detroit Public Library offers a variety of programs that are relevant to 21st century kids.

"We know the name of the architect of Grand Central Station, but who swept the floors?"

Collaboration between institutions and law enforcement agencies, led by Chief Anthony Holt and the Wayne State Police, has led to a 52 percent reduction in crime in Midtown since 2008.

The second round of Motor City Match grantees, who will receive a combined $500,000 in awards, are located throughout Detroit. They include a gourmet slider restaurant, a neighborhood pharmacy, a bike and coffee shop, among others.

The Regional Transit Authority millage, partnerships between Silicon Valley and Detroit, and sprawl are a few things we'll be keeping a close eye on this year.