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In preparing presentations about our placemaking recommendations what has struck me is that the key message can be summed up in three words: talent attracts capital. Where talent means primarily those with a four-year degree or more. What the most prosperous non-energy-driven states and regions have most in common is a high proportion of their adults with a Bachelors Degree…

In a recent post we made the case for why gentrification is a good. Something that all Michigan cities should want more of. In this post I want to explore what happens to neighborhoods without gentrification. I finished the previous post with: "Neighborhoods with high demand are vibrant, neighborhoods with low or no demand are distressed. There is no in…

We constantly hear that the value of a four-year degree is declining. Somehow conventional wisdom has it that since the end of the Great Recession college graduates are not enjoying the wage premium over those with less education than previous generations. Makes an interesting story. But it is not true! The data are clear: the value of a four-year degree…

Important New York Times op ed by Allstate CEO Tom Wilson entitled Save capitalism by paying people more. What makes this so important is the explicit call from a big company CEO that corporate America needs to pay higher wages. The need for higher wages and benefits is the core of the Michigan Future new state policy agenda. Our recommendations––paraphrasing…

For years I have said that the city of Detroit needs more gentrification and congestion. As most of you would expect, the push-back is immediate and intense. Most folks think of the negative consequences of both and instinctively recoil at having more of the negatives. What people don't think about is that for both gentrification and congestion the positives far…