Hamtramck : News from Detroit

Last year, Motor City Muckraker's Steve Neavling focused his attention on the struggles of the Detroit Fire Department to great effect. This year he's turning his attention to education in Detroit.

Twenty of the 158 Knight Cities Challenge finalists are Detroit-based projects. The winners will be announced later this spring.

Officials say roughly 350 bikes and 35 bike stations will be scattered throughout greater downtown.

It's been another busy month for development news in the city of Detroit. Let's catch up on some of the biggest stories from the past four weeks.

Detroit City FC is preparing to kick off what it's estimating to be the largest community-financed project in U.S. sports history, the renovation of its future home, Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck.

As the city of Detroit makes it easier for residents to purchase vacant lots in their neighborhoods, the Detroit Future City Implementation Office has developed a field guide for residents that informs them how to transform the empty land into neighborhood resources.

The cities of Hamtramck and Detroit have completed a swap of two of their star performers, with Rock City Eatery going to Detroit and the Detroit City FC moving to Hamtramck. Each move was made with growth in mind.

When most people talk about urban agriculture in Detroit, they say it with the idea of putting vacant land to use. Afterhouse, however, wants to grow the city's urban agriculture sector by putting vacant buildings to use.

Detroit is a street artist Mecca. Check out why in an amazing feature from the Detroit Free Press.

On Sept. 4-5, Washington, D.C.-based artist Carmen C. Wong will offer "Tactile Taste of Banglatown," a theatrical installation where visitors will experience neighborhood straddling Detroit and Hamtramck by sight, sound, taste, and more.

Last year, Write a House renovated a vacant house it had purchased at the Wayne County tax foreclosure auction, then gave it away to a poet -- for free. This year, Write a House will give a second formerly vacant house away to another worthy writer.

Over the next two weeks, the city will be rolling out its new parking system, ParkDetroit, by installing new meters throughout the city.

Seven placemaking projects, one for each city council district, are being given a boost by Community Development Advocates of Detroit.

In Hamtramck, a group of residents fed up with the status quo have decided to take matters – and shovels – into their own hands to improve road conditions in their community.