Longtime Ann Arbor-area blogger “Murph” of the Common Monkeyflower has just ended his five post tenure at Metro Mode as the featured guest blogger. Having spent years studying urban planning and using Ann Arbor and the Detroit-area as the subject of his mental canvas I think he has a pretty good idea of what a lot of people of his generation want out of Michigan cities as well as any city. Now living in Ypsilanti he claims that he’s the least interesting among his new neighbors which I find to be quite impressive, and he reminds us that as important as any other factor in evaluating a neighborhood are the people that make up the neighborhood and there are really some interesting people in Ypsilanti for those in the know.
In his last post he lays out a prescription for the region, seven suggestions for making metro Detroit stronger.
I think the first three could be summed up together as something like “make our streets more enjoyable” because with better public transportation comes less congestion for those who don’t use it and less concentration required by those who do use it, bicycles are a fun and healthy way to get around and so is walking, and compact development with less wasted, useful, and boring space makes it easier, more convenient, and more stimulating and fun to bike or walk. The three things go together, transit- and pedestrian-oriented development.
His other suggestions have to do with cooperation among our municipalities rather than competition that often leads to cannibalism. We could do so much more by using the region’s collective tax dollars more efficiently.
You can read the whole series here: Guest Blogger: Richard Murphy
