Practical Community Learning Project

Two students partnered with District 6 City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero to provide policy recommendations regarding the processes for dealing with dangerous buildings within Detroit. The students gathered and synthesized information about local demolition practices in Detroit. Through research and engagement meetings, they collected information about the dangerous building notification processes, resident rights throughout the process, city processes from determination to completion, and data regarding demolition processes in similarly-sized midwestern cities. Given the lack of...

Students collaborated with the City of Flint’s Economic Development Department and UM-Flint Office of Economic Development staff to develop a guide for new and existing businesses to understand, act on, and sustainably operate in Flint. Students engaged with key city of Flint and UM-Flint Office of Economic Development staff to understand existing resources and resource gaps for businesses and commercial property owners. A list of resources and appropriate steps were assembled to guide entrepreneurs when locating a business in an existing neighborhood context, along with business-related...

Two students provided Flint Councilwoman Tonya Burns with data and information on housing incentive programs and mortgage down payment assistance. The Flint housing market has some of the most affordable housing in the country, however, despite this, housing insecurity in Flint continues to be a pressing issue. There are multiple causes of this issue ranging from low incomes and job security, to thousands of blighted houses in the community, and the effects of redlining are still being felt to this day. Many residents of Flint cannot afford to buy houses, yet Flint has ample housing stock. To...

Planet Detroit is a weekly online newsletter whose mission is to raise awareness about Metro Detroit’s environmental and public health challenges and potential solutions, hold powerful entities accountable, and empower readers to take action in their communities. Planet Detroit is working to build a resource hub for Detroit residents and relevant stakeholders to be able to understand the assets, gaps, and needs in the local information on public health and environmental data. To assist with this project, the students worked to identify and collect relevant local data relating to risk and...

During the Winter semester, students partnering with Detroit Public Schools Community District devised a list of best practices from nationwide districts on fostering gender inclusivity in schools. The recommendations include policy guidelines, student support, and resources for policy implementation. The policy draft includes student and staff rights, provides definitions for important, relevant terms, applies to staff members, and has a legal basis. It also recommends respecting name and pronoun changes, defines discrimination, harassment, and bullying, and outlines locker room and restroom...

Sanctuary Farms is an urban farm and nature sanctuary in Detroit, with a mission to connect the local community with the environment and food through active participation in closing the food loop. As part of their operations, Sanctuary Farms aims to engage in industrial-scale composting, and this research project involved conducting extensive research to understand the policy and permit requirements for composting in the City of Detroit, as well as at the state and federal levels. The research process involved gathering information from various resources, including the client and the UM...

The Dearborn Department of Public Health (DPH) was formally launched in April 2022, becoming only the second city in Michigan with a public health department, and the first to do so voluntarily. The Department was founded on the principle of “Health in All Policies.” Health in All Policies is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. The goal of Health in All Policies is to ensure that all decision-makers are informed about the health, equity, and sustainability consequences of...