

College entrance exams and college admission
Paul Tough’s excellent new book The Years That Matter Most explores how college entrance exams––SAT and ACT––impact who gets admitted to college. He does it


Talent attracts capital
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


Neighborhoods without gentrification
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


The increasing value of a four-year degree
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


A capitalist advocating for higher wages
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


Michigan cities need more gentrification
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