My placement is a non-profit, Metro Matters, previously known as the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, located in Ferndale, Michigan. Metro Matters is a policy research and advocacy organization in metro Detroit dedicated to creating a more equitable and sustainable region. They’re an evolution of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, which was founded in 2002 to unify urban communities around a shared strategy for community prosperity. The organization has led the development of nationally recognized programs in redevelopment, climate action, energy and talent attraction. They’ve been named one of Crain’s Detroit’s “Coolest Places to Work” and one of the Michigan Business Review’s “Most Innovative Companies”.
Metropolitan mobility is undergoing an extraordinary transformation. It’s no longer a single mode environment where you just get into your car and schlepp it to your destination. As evidence, the region is experiencing tremendous upticks in transit use. But all these people are stuck in what the Minnesota Post called “the most boring piece of urban infrastructure in our cities today” – the ubiquitous and uninspired bus stop. However, with the advent of the Regional Transit Authority, metro Detroit has a chance to rethink where people wait, and open the door to the kind of creative and innovative designs that entertain and inspire riders in the world’s more transit friendly cities. Through this summer project I’ll prepare case studies of places with beautiful bus stops, review the research and standards applied nationally, interview local riders and planners, and ultimately recommend a policy to the RTA that assures safety standards are met while simultaneously opening up the door to creative, community-driven bus stop design.
The experience thus far has been great. Even though I am from Detroit, I have found a lot of great resources through my placement to help with my research right here within the city. I have also been able to try a lot of new restaurants around town that I have also really enjoyed!
-Kristen
