At Little Detroit Community Garden, preschool teacher Loretta Powell enhances food security and offers educational and volunteer opportunities in the East Canfield neighborhood.
Posted inDeep Dives
Q&A: How transportation insecurity erodes Detroiters’ physical and mental health
Alexandra Murphy noticed that transportation research followed a distinct pattern. Engineers and urban planners would examine the man-made elements of a city—buildings, roads, bridges, parks, buses or trains—with a focus on neighborhoods or census tracts. But another “profound” problem remained largely understudied, Murphy said, even among poverty researchers. People who can’t afford to buy and […]
Posted inNews
Planet Detroit’s sustainable holiday gift picks for 2025
Planet Detroit readers shared their top picks for sustainable gifts that cut down on waste and bolster local groups, ensuring holiday dollars stay within the community.
Posted inNews
Michigan’s utility regulator under fire over DTE Energy data center contracts: Public hearing or ‘performative listening’?
Michigan’s Public Service Commission is hosting a virtual public hearing on DTE Energy’s fast-track proposal to power a massive new data center in Saline Township. The plan has sparked backlash from the attorney general and environmental groups, who argue it lacks transparency and could affect ratepayers.
Posted inData Centers
Meta behind planned Howell data center: Township trustee
Members of the group Stop the Data Centers Livingston County say a moratorium passed Thursday does not apply to the current developer.
Posted inCommunity
Volunteers bring vacant East Warren Avenue lots one step closer to arboretum, botanical garden
Detroit Hives aims to complete the East Warren Community Arboretum & Botanical Garden by October 2026.
Posted inNews
What we’re reading: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy announces reforms after $44 million theft
Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO William Smith appeals his 19-year federal prison sentence for stealing $44.3 million, calls it unreasonable and arbitrary.
Posted inData Centers
Howell Township officials under pressure to approve $1 billion data center: ‘DTE is going to have to pivot’
The Howell Township board, at the center of the debate over a $1 billion data center proposal, is scheduled to consider a six-month data center moratorium Thursday .
Posted inData Centers
Are Michigan’s data center tax breaks ignoring clean energy laws?
Environmental advocates call on Michigan to tighten data center tax rules, ensuring these facilities meet the state’s 90% clean energy mandate, crucial for reducing fossil fuel reliance and protecting consumers.
Posted inNews
Michigan’s health is falling behind, new report warns — and financial insecurity is to blame
Michigan performs worse than national and Midwestern averages across most major health indicators and faces especially wide racial and economic disparities.