Bruce Katz

Next Step To a Techonomic Detroit? The Wrecking Ball

Demolition isn’t exactly a techonomic concept, but clearing Detroit of tens of thousands of burned-out houses and crumbling factories is a crucial next-step in urban renewal here, according to Dan Gilbert. In fact, he’d like...

To Revive Detroit, Revive Its Core

It may seem early to talk about Detroit’s rebound, with the city’s recent bankruptcy filing on July 18th, but the fact is this city is ripe for renewal. Its much-needed fiscal reset provides an opportunity...

Why Detroit Is Fertile Ground for an Innovation District

With 90-percent occupancy rates, 10,000 new jobs, a brand new Whole Foods, and the repurposing of a long-abandoned GM building as a design center, midtown-downtown Detroit—soon to be linked by a new rail line—is poised...

Are Cities Engines for Smart Growth?

Kids today would rather be mayor than president, Thomas L. Friedman writes in a recent column. “The country looks so much better from the bottom up—from its major metropolitan areas—than from the top down,” he...