Opinions & Views

Mackinac policy conference

Will Metro Detroit Become A Permanent Second-Class Region? That’s the Question At The Heart Of This Year’s Mackinac Policy Conference

The Detroit region is a proverbial frog boiling alive in a pot of water.   There are several major topics being tackled up here at the Mackinac Policy Conference — talent, transit, the opioid crisis and education among them. But the through-line that we see between all of them is “Will Metro Detroit become a permanent second-class region?” See, despite what some politicians would like to tell you, all is not rosy in the Paris of the Midwest. The city does have a comeback beginning. But anyon...

DetroitIndianapolisMass Transit

If Oakland And Macomb Counties Don't Want The Benefits Of Mass Transit, Forget'em

The ongoing saga of regional transit negotiations is like watching a friend tragically go after dating someone they really, really like – but the person that’s the target of their affection just isn’t interested. The reality is a four county transit solution isn’t politically workable here. We should accept that and like Indianapolis, an Amazon top 20 city, move on. One of the things that was surprising on our most recent Daily Detroit Happy Hour podcast was that Indianapolis was a top 20 ci...

DetroitDetroit RegionMetro Detroit

There Aren't Two Detroits. But There Are Two Metro Detroits.

Over the past few years we’ve noticed that there is a severe cultural disconnect in metro Detroit. Before you say “oh, another city vs. suburbs rant!” let’s be clear: It’s way more complicated than just city vs. suburb. Or black vs. white. This cultural divide doesn’t respect city boundaries. Sure, there’s a geographic element to it, but it’s also tied to family and life experiences. We live in silos. We have a lack of shared experiences and empathy. You could live in, say, Harrison Townsh...

EminemLove the way you lieStan

WATCH: Eminem Performs New Track As Well As "Stan" & "Love The Way You Lie" In Medley

Eminem’s new track “Walk on Water” was featured on last night’s Saturday Night Live in a three-part medley performance with Skylar Grey. If you didn’t know, she’s collaborated with Em before as the writer of “Love The Way You Lie” back in 2010. After the new track that’s powerful but in a different style that fans got into when he first broke out on the scene, he went into short snippets of two classics everyone who has been following the him for awhile. “Walk On Water” is reminiscent of a r...

City ClerkGarlin Gilchrist II

For Detroit City Clerk, Garlin Gilchrist Is The Clear Choice

The city clerk race has become interesting this year. It’s usually a sleeper with candidates nobody really cares about. But between issues around the last general election and a dynamic figure appearing on the stage, it’s been something to watch and research. Gilchrist II may have been an unknown figure to most media, but he was known to us. Before he was running for anything (or we knew he was running for anything), he stopped by our Daily Detroit Happy Hour Podcast to talk about Detroit te...

BillboardsDowntown Detroit

OPINION: Banning Billboards In Downtown Detroit Is Ridiculous And The Law Should Change

Active, vibrant cities the world over have billboards and advertisements. But in Detroit, almost all the ones you’ve seen pop up over the last few years? Turns out they’re illegal, according to city code. And that’s especially ridiculous in Detroit’s core business district. If you didn’t know, there’s a prohibition in the city of Detroit against large advertising signs, billboards and painted wall graphics basically anywhere from Grand Boulevard to the Detroit River. Opponents of these big...

Bike ShareEastern MarketMilwaukee Junction

For Day To Day Usage, MoGo Bike Share Beats The QLINE Hands Down

When it comes to practicality, the QLINE streetcar has been a disappointment. Our team is pretty bike- and walk- friendly, and will take the bus if the timing makes sense. We have contributors who live near the QLINE and the MoGo stations, and others who live near bus lines and use them (in the suburbs, too). When both opened earlier this year, we had multiple debates over which service was going to come out on top. It was evenly split between bike share lovers and believers in the power o...

Michigan Cracking Down On Marijuana Dispensaries, All Must Close By Dec. 15

It’s going to be a lot harder to get ahold of medical marijuana in Michigan soon. According to multiple reports, the state of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is giving medical marijuana dispensaries and other businesses until December 15 to shut down. If they don’t, they risk not being able to get a license under a new regulatory system they’re rolling out or be forcibly shut down by law enforcement. Some areas, like Oakland County, are already doing shutdowns. New...

AmazonDetroitHQ2

Amazon Should Be A Wake-up Call To Metro Detroit To Think Bigger

All the Mayor’s horses and all of Dan Gilbert’s men are looking to put together a deal together with Amazon. After all, the prospect of 50,000 jobs — with well-paying salaries — and a $5 billion total investment has the entire nation talking about where the online retail Goliath will build its second headquarters. Beyond the breathless headlines that will get shared ad nauseum on Facebook, we should take this as an opportunity to look at our region in the mirror and ask ourselves how we coul...

Born FreeHumorKid Rock

10 Menu Suggestions For Kid Rock's New Detroit Restaurant

He might or might not be running for U.S. Senate. But Kid Rock is for sure opening a restaurant at the new Little Caesars Arena, “Kid Rock’s Made In Detroit.” The Detroit Free Press reports that the 5,800 square foot restaurant is going to have a variety of “southern” and “Detroit-inspired” dishes. The menu isn’t out yet, but we have thoughts. And although one can always appreciate the hometown pride, sometimes things just deserve to be skewered with humor. This is Detroit, after all. If y...

BrandsDCFCDetroit City Soccer Club

If New MLS Team Steals The Soul Of Detroit Soccer, They Shouldn't Get A Dime Of Taxpayer Money

The fight over the soul of Detroit soccer — or football, depending on your perspective — is heating up. It’s moved to similarities in naming. It’s clear that Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores is just fine with filing for federal trademark protection of a name that’s super similar to the locally-owned, crowdfunded Detroit City Football Club. They’re going for the “Detroit City Soccer Club.” DCFC vs. DCSC. Here’s the trademark filing: Officially filed for trademark on July 6th…”Detroit City...

DCFCDetroitMLS

In Recent Reports Of Possible Major League Soccer Expansion, No Mention Of Detroit

Although here in Detroit there are the twin stories of should Wayne County trade with billionaires Dan Gilbert and Tom Gores for the incomplete jail site downtown, as well as the recent heckles among some passionate fans that were raised by Palace Sports & Entertainment purchasing web addresses like “DetCitySoccerClub.com,” just one word away in name from the locally popular “Detroit City Football Club,” it’s important to remember that Detroit hasn’t actually been awarded a Major League Soccer t...

DetroitMilwaukee JunctionOpinion

QLINE, I Love You But We Need To Talk

At first, you hear the warm voice of Carmen Harlan. “Grand Circus Park, brought to you by Chevrolet” the recorded message assures the passengers. Next, you hear some weird, garbled digital voice finishing the sentence, telling you about the attractions at that stop. That contrast is exactly the QLINE today. We wanted to step back, let some kinks work out, and then add something. Optimistically, one could think hey, it’ll take some time to iron things out. We’re now a month in, and the...

DetroitMackinac policy conferenceMayor Mike Duggan

Mike Duggan Speaks Truth To Power About Detroit's Divided History

Finally. Across Metro Detroit, we usually do a terrible job of acknowledging our past and how those decisions impact our region today. But in an energetic speech in a venue where a message about race is uncomfortable for some, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan talked about the systematically racist policies that shaped our region today and finished with a standing ovation. The TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) version is thanks to a practice called redlining if you were white after World War II, you c...

DesignDetroit Pistons LogoLogo Criticism

The Detroit Pistons Return To Design Sanity With Their New Retro Logo

After decades of graphic tomfoolery, the Detroit Pistons returned to design sanity with the official revelation of their new (old?) logo today. The Pistons basketball team has had decades of logo nonsense. For instance, in 1947, they had this doozy which was like a angry Michelin Man made of oil cans. The “Z” is for their founding owner, Fred Zollner. Imagine the children’s faces if this was the mascot today. Then, for decades in Detroit from 1957 until the late 1970s, the Detroit Pistons...

Detroit

Who Are We Building Detroit For?

Over the last year or so, there has been a common thread when it comes to comments when we post about Detroit and development. It’s summed up well by this comment on today’s news of the new $77 million development on the site of the former Wigle Recreation Center. This leads to a larger question. What is the Detroit we want to build, and who is it for? Do we want to build a Detroit flush with out-of-town money, but prices out of reach for most people here? Or do we want our efforts to f...

Detroit Policy ConferenceDetroit regional chamberMASHDetroit

For Health Of Detroit's Comeback Don't Worry About Gilbert And Ilitch; Watch Hall, Peterson And Stoudamire

Sitting at the Detroit Policy Conference on Thursday, there was a changing energy. A shift from an old guard to a new. Sure, pizza and sports icon Chris Ilitch took the stage and did a large presentation and speech about the transition from father to son at that behemoth organization. On a panel immediately after, developer Peter Cummings, who was key to bringing the Whole Foods to Midtown, talked about the work they’re doing in New Center and the age old question of incentives and how many...

What is the most important issue facing Detroit

Readers Sound Off On The Most Important Issues Facing Detroit In 2017: Education, Crime & Job Creation

In today’s digital world it’s relatively easy to see what’s popular. Every website has software that tells us how many page views a story received, how long in aggregate people spent on a video, all of that. But anyone living here knows that what is popular is not the whole story. Often the most impactful topics are not the most popular. We do enjoy writing stories of interest about the next noodle place or reminding you of an old favorite burger. But there is, obviously, so much more. We’...