Downtown : Features

There's something for everyone in Detroit's exploding podcast scene. Here are a few of our favorite shows to get you started listening local.

Detroit's wonders might not be as obvious as those of other cities, but what they lack in grandeur they make up for in their quality of engineering and the practical advantages they give our region.

Convenient and easy-to-use mobile payment technologies are increasing in popularity among metro Detroit's small businesses, but they can pose security risks. Here are a few tips on how small businesses can ensure the security of their customers' and their own financial information.

Don Behm started his vintage arcade business, Offworld, by tinkering with classic games in his garage. 

With a simple keyword search, the Detroit Green Map shows users interested in sustainable practices where to buy solar panels, where to recycle, where to volunteer, and more. 

A look back on some of Model D's best stories from the last year.

We may not have mountains (or even molehills, for that matter), but southeast Michigan is home to unique natural wonders that are being rediscovered and restored in the postindustrial era.

Tim Johnson, director of transportation initiatives at NextEnergy, argues that there is no better place to be than Detroit when it comes to developing the technologies that will make our cars, buildings, and cities smarter and more efficient.

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, Model D readers gathered at the Outdoor Adventure Center to discuss what we can learn from welcoming public spaces like the Detroit Riverfront and Eastern Market. Here are some takeaways.

"Development can be so much more productive if there are more perspectives at the table: people of color, women, older people, younger people, white men," says M-1 Rail's Sommer Woods. "When you have all these people at the table you're guaranteed to have perspective instead of one monolithic project."

Between new businesses and residents moving downtown and improvements to city services, there is plenty of opportunity to make the future better for all Detroiters. Here are four ideas for "future-proofing" the city that came out of a panel discussion last week at Bamboo Detroit.

Over the last eight years, Open City has helped create an informal community of Detroit entrepreneurs who help each other succeed. The ninth season of Open City kicks off Monday, Oct. 19, at Cliff Bell's.

Who are the contenders and who are the pretenders? And how are we creating a shared vision for a regional network of cycling infrastructure in southeast Michigan?

In recent years, a handful of gyms have opened in Detroit, each offering a unique style of training while contributing to a growing fitness culture in the city.

The New Economy Initiative's executive director writes about how NEI helped change economic development in Michigan from hunting "elephants" to building a network of support to foster entrepreneurship, small business growth, and innovation – from grass roots to high-growth.