Detroit’s Liabilities
In a previous post I wrote how we are so obsessed with what is wrong with Detroit that we forget it has assets to build from. But then comes a terrific Wall Street Journal article on black flight from Detroit and you understand again that all the assets that Detroit has gets trumped by its liabilities. […]
Ann Arbor II
Lot of reaction to my post on Ann Arbor’s anti-density development policies. One theme is Ann Arbor can’t be Madison mainly because they are the state capitol and have the two lakes. No question Madison has some assets that Ann Arbor can not replicate. One can argue it’s why they are a city nearly twice […]
College Success Advisers
Readers know that I am concerned about the low graduation rates that characterized almost all of our universities and colleges. The recent Brookings report on demographic changes across the country from 2000-2008 provides data that should worry all of us. In 2008 the proportion of 25-34 year olds with a four-year degree is less than […]
Why Ann Arbor Won’t Be an Economic Engine
The recent Kalamazoo Gazette editorial on our new report included a reference to former Governor Engler, when he was out of office, expressing regret that he just hadn’t written off Detroit and focused on Ann Arbor instead as the economic engine for the Michigan economy. Bad idea! Michigan needs a vibrant Detroit for it to […]
Great Editorials
Two great editorials on our just released report on Michigan’s progress to a knowledge-based economy. One from Derek Melot at the Lansing State Journal titled “Will Mich. gain passion for learning?”. The other from the Kalamazoo Gazette titled “A tale of cool cities and economic revitalization”. Two headlines that get to the essence of what our work […]
Paying Attention to Young Talent
Terrific articles on Sunday in both the Grand Rapids Press and the Kalamazoo Gazette on the importance of young professionals to economic growth. Worth reading! The Press’ article is part of their terrific Michigan 10.0 series. That the issue of retaining and attracting recent college graduates is now on their short list of agenda items […]
Michigan’s Transition to a Knowledge-based Economy: Third Annual Progress Report
This is Michigan Future’s third annual report on Michigan’s transition to a knowledge-based economy. How well Michigan does in this transition will, in large part, determine whether we get more prosperous or poorer.
Worth Reading
We are releasing our annual report later this week. My plan is to use these posts for the next several weeks to highlight our findings. So rather than wait to write a complete post on each, here are some articles I think are worth reading. 1. David Olive wrote a fascinating column for the Toronto Star […]
Transportation Drives Growth
Terrific article by Christopher Leinberger in this month’s Atlantic. It’s about the increased consumer demand – in both cities and suburbs – for walkable neighborhoods linked by train. The article and his book the Option of Urbanism are worth reading. Leinberger is best in describing the changing patterns of consumer demand for housing and neighborhoods. […]
Does Economic Development Work II
Good series of articles in the Free Press on the state’s 21st Century Jobs fund. Worth reading. The lead article by Katherine Yung is titiled Bold Experiment Produces Few Jobs. Which raises again the question “is this kind of economic development effective?” We are skeptical. The fund was to be Michigan’s latest big effort to diversify […]