Good morning and good week.

I heard through the grapevine and confirmed it through a blog post that Hatch Detroit participants, the brothers Newman, and their brainchild the Detroit Institute of Bagels, have secured a location for their business. Right next to PJ’s Lager House nonetheless! Soon, we will have our very own (delicious!) bagel shop. Well done, bagel’eers.

(I just noticed that this news was revealed by the Huffington Post yesterday, you can read their detailed account of the announcement here.)

Bagel shops aren’t the only thing making moves around town:

The M1 LightRail gang, mostly foundation and corporale folks, are saying they will push ahead with plans to keep the light rail alive as an addendum to the regional high-speed bus system. Charles Pugh is an outspoken supporter of this. More!

Curbed Detroit, the real estate blog, revealed plans for the ground level restaurants that will occupy the soon-to-be-renovated Broderick Tower. There are three of them. Get the deets here.

And JOBS! Holy smokes, WDET is hiring. Ever dream of being a producer for the Craig Fahle Show? This could be your opportunity. See the job posting, a full-time gig mind you, here.

You may recall last week when the Huffington Post ignited a few sparks when Rabbi Jason Miller posted a response via the HuffBlog to Toby Barlow’s original article titled “Detroit: Meet Detroit.” The response by Rabbi Miller spawned an argumentative couple of days akin to the days of the RoboCop controversy. On the heels of such fiery (but massively important) conversation, I suggested via the DL! blog that we take this fiercely debated topic of suburbs-v-city to a more constructive platform to breathe some more life in to understanding the nature of each side. My thought: Get Rabbi Miller (the pro-suburbs side) and Barlow (the pro-city side) to have a discussion on the Craig Fahle Show via “Crossing the Lines,” a feature that WDET has been putting together. In the ongoing segment, city dwellers, politicians, designers, writers and everything in between discuss the really tough issues we face in moving Detroit forward.

Well, the suggestion worked.

Thursday morning at 10am (stream live here), Rabbi Miller and Mister Barlow will discuss the question, “Who is a Detroiter?” I trust it will be a fruitful conversation. I think it should also stand as a case in point of why it is so massively important to search for solutions and answers in the quest to move this city forward. We cannot dwell on what is or what has been, we must think of what can be, and ferociously search for ways in which to realize that potential, even if its just creating some fruitful dialogue that seems difficult. With a little calculation and thoughtfulness, or hell, just a blog post and a note to Craig Fahle, things can happen. You can do it. We can do it.

Onward.

Last week Toby Barlow wrote an article (link) via the new (controversial) Huffington Post Detroit blog claiming all suburbia needed to do was move to Downtown Detroit and the city would be better. A response (link) from Rabbi Jason Miller asserts that actually it’s the suburbs that have revived the city and it should continue to be that way. Both articles I think have their points, the pros and cons. My personal opinion is that there is no Jesus solution to this city. Read: it’s not going to be one thing that “saves” us here, it’s going to be the collective energy from a lot of isolated happenings: inner-city community leaders rising up through urban agriculture, suburban high schoolers coming down for Deadmau5 shows at the Fillmore, the creative sector providing a growth tool for economic activity, the state enacting policy to support angel investments, families coming down for a ballgame at Comerica Park, active city-dwellers convincing friends to move to the city, suburbanites growing their businesses in the suburbs and considering office locations downtown. I could honestly go on and on– literally– for another ten minutes. We need it all. Every single ounce of energy we need to harvest it.

Toby is a really well-spoken, smart guy. Rabbi Miller, who I know considerably less about but have done some research, also sounds like a really intelligent, forward thinking fella. But I propose we take this discussion to the next level. Recall WDET’s “Crossing the Lines” feature that I mentioned a couple weeks ago– an ongoing segment where the station tries to create dialogue around the really tough issues that we face as a city. Within the confines of those discussions and features, the whole “insider-outsider-suburbs-v-city” has become hotter than a Spanish pistol. So, let’s talk about it. Clearly a lot of people feel strongly about both sides. Let’s get Rabbi Miller and Mister Barlow on the Craig Fahle show to address each side. It’s massively important to the future growth of our region, and there’s no single X or Y solution, we need it all. At the end of the day, I think we’d all be surprised with what kind of middle-ground could be unearthed in the discussion that would make both sides feel like active stakeholders in the forward movements of our fair city.

Because seriously– think about it. Actions that lead to growth start only with participants that feel empowered enough to be involved in the process. And while we might all not get along hunky-dory, lovey-dovey, when we can agree that we all need to play SOME part in moving this city forward, our collective growth potential exponentially increases.

(In other controversial news completely unrelated to this discussion, Nickelback responded to the 55,000+ people that have signed the petition against them playing the halftime show tomorrow. See it here)

The title of this post is an interpretation of a famous Dr. King quote– “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” He said that in a speech given in St. Louis, Missouri on March 22, 1964. I am reminded of this particular statement as I listen to the ongoing discussion called “Crossing the Lines” on WDET. For the last year, they’ve been deliberately discussing the tough issues, those that we tend to separate ourselves on in Detroit: the race conversations, the insider/outsider-suburbanite-versus-city-dweller arguments, the class issues, the education debates.

The recent hot topic has been the insider versus outsider debate. It all reached a crescendo of sorts last Thursday on the Craig Fahle Show when Council President Charles Pugh, while clearly frustrated with the opinion of a caller who was in favor of an Emergency Financial Manager in Detroit (Pugh has been a very outspoken opponent of an EFM), tried to dismiss the caller’s opinion by asking him the question, “Where do you live?” The man responded that he lived in the New Center area and it came as something of a surprise, where it seemed as though Pugh intended to dismiss the caller’s opinion in favor of the EFM simply because he didn’t know what it was like inside the city. Fahle decided to dwell on it quite a bit as a prime example of the problems we have moving this city forward– the idea that a lot of Detroiters feel that if you aren’t from within the city limits, your opinion doesn’t matter, or you simply have no idea what is good or bad for this city.

I am reminded of the fiasco with Toni Griffin, the Harvard-educated city planner that was hired to be a large part of the Detroit Works Project, a political reform process coming from the Mayor’s office paid for by the Kresge Foundation. Griffin was hired in based on her work in Newark, New Jersey and a wealth of experience dealing with similar issues that Detroit faces. In getting the planning process initiated, she wanted to hire in outside consultants (presumably from geographies outside of Detroit) that would aid in the process of reform. On the heels of that request, she was told “that’s not how we do it in Detroit,” that is, getting a bunch of outsiders to come in and help with an internal process. Since then, and this was around March of this year, it’s been largely rumored she was fired. The mayor’s office won’t comment other than the fact that she may be on hiatus. And that’s that.

The question becomes how valuable outsider insight is to the city. Given that Detroit is a very unique place, dense with circumstances of its own, it makes sense that insiders should play an integral role in the reform process, but it certainly seems unhealthy and detrimental to not seek any outside involvement. Seems disastrous in fact.

As a city in general, it’s an issue we constantly discuss. What will break down these barriers? What will finally make us realize that our hardened mentalities and insular behavior may in fact be hurting us more than helping us? When will we confidently seek the input of others, outsiders, as a means by which to prosper? It’s hard to say, but simply talking about the issue, understanding it, and understanding why it plagues us, is a start. Stay tuned to the conversations as part of the “Crossing the Lines” feature on WDET. The latest article in the series, discussing this very topic of insider/outsider debate, can be found here. The entire body of work can be viewed here.

Martina Guzmán, author and creator of the new WDET series, “The Detroit-Berlin Connection” has created an impressive body of work that proves quite useful as we look at the future of Detroit. What gets particularly engaging, is the way her work resonates given the depths that we’ve been digging just 295 miles east of Berlin in Łódź, Poland– another post-industrial city in much of the same position as Detroit that we have examined for our soon-to-be released documentary film.

Guzmán’s piece sets up a wonderful model to examine the relationship between Berlin and Detroit. She heavily examines the creative class and their ability to re-define and evolve a place along with land use and preservation. Berlin, after World War II was, for the most part, destroyed. Of the 1,500 buildings that composed the city’s beginnings, only 12 are left today. Kind of staggering. She creates substantial dialogue around the creative re-use of these structures that Detroit can learn from. In addition, her work asserts that individual artists and organizational practitioners play a significant role as the creative sector in building new industry and identity drawing on the city’s age-old ability. She discusses these issues with people on both sides of the pond to create a large body of work spanning audio clips, slideshows and videos. It can be viewed in total here.

Today, Berlin is light years ahead of Detroit having been the benefactor of governmental subsidies to substantially develop the creative sector. And while many would jump on that as a major blockade in Detroit, it simply cannot be viewed as the stumbling block to the city’s success. No government subsidy will flourish if the people themselves do not believe in the merit of it’s potential. In many ways, the policy was embraced at many levels in Berlin. The mayor coined the phrase “poor, but sexy” in describing Berlin to outsiders. They created an image, a lasting identifier, a brand– essentially the good marketing you see with companies like Apple– that literally drew people in. And they did this on the base of what was a creative culture that came from the ground– just as it does in Detroit.

So when we look to Berlin, we look back and try to take cues, but what about when we attempt to tackle re-imagination side by side with Łódź, a city currently in very much so the same position as Detroit? Right now, both cities are trying to initiate strategy that articulates a robust forward vision after years of industrial decline. For Łódź, Communism ended in the 90s and stripped the city of its manufacturing identity with textile production. 100 years prior the industry took a tiny village and transformed it in to one of Europe’s largest manufacturers. When trade ties with Russia were severed after communism’s demise, the industry collapsed and left unemployment, decay, sprawl, and abandonment in its wake. Today, Łódź struggles in much of the same ways as Detroit– formulating progressive policy, innovatively using shells of former buildings and creating substantial commerce from the remnants of a broken industrial past.

Examining Łódź and Detroit presents another chapter of sister/brother-hood, extending the lessons and framework initiated by Guzmán with the WDET piece. What happens when information sharing right NOW becomes a crucial part of future success as opposed to looking back? What happens when we enter the battlefield with a trans-continental sibling looking to wage the same war of re-imagination? Will we stagnate together until someone else defines a new era of progression? Or, will a connection now lead to newborn policy and ideas that could help hundreds of future cities, revolutionizing the way we look at modern cities?

As we begin to wrap up production of the film looking at Detroit and Łódź, we hope to be able to add some insight to this fascinating conversation.

Back on the saddle. Just a friendly reminder about the DL! Guidebook Project. Yeah, still going. Listen to the interview from the Craig Fahle show to hear all about it. Basically, if you were to tell a story about your favorite hole, space, bar, eatery, theater, gallery, freeway, club, alley or garden what would it be? How can you share your favorite piece of Detroit to help a first-timer out in their visit to the city? We don’t actually offfer anything on a widespread level to tourists or even locals in the area on how to really appreciate Detroit– Fodor’s and Lonely Planet don’t do much in the way of guidebooks for Detroit. Cause sure, everyone can go walk the riverfront and check out Eastern Market, but there’s a lot more to the city than that. So SHARE YOUR STORIES or observations and let’s get this thing looking cool. I mean think about it– maybe if it’s easier for outsiders to find their way around the city to the exciting spots that locals know about, opinions of the city will start to slowly change. Maybe we just need to show the stranded cattle of this country the way when it comes to Detroit. What they don’t realize is that we’ve got this little OASIS of cool right here. Anyway, the plan is to produce a feature from it– something on the website and then an actual published book that would be available in most major retail outlets. The key component to any of this happening though is getting a hearty collection of testimonials. That’s where you come in. And being the gentleman that DETROIT LIVES! is, there will be a giveaway for a random lucky entrant. And then another one the week after, and maybe on and on. No, your not getting a coupon to go enjoy a free helping of syrup on your sundae, you are going to get a FREE piece of hand-printed DL! goodness: your choice of a bag or a sweatshirt. Whoo! So get crackin’. Spread the word and get your friends in on it.

DL! on NPR. Whoo! I will be talking about the latest Detroit guidebook project on the Craig Fahle show at 11:50 AM on Monday morning. Tune in to WDET 101.9 FM to catch all the action. Apparently, their will be the opportunity for call-ins from listeners, too. So if you have some questions, give a shout.

A happy Sunday to you indeed.

As it turns out, the DL!’verse is still spinning, and by spinning, I mean “The Farmer and the Philosopher” is screening on Tuesday this week (2/2) as part of Mitten Movie Project. We’ve discussed MMP before, but it’s basically a monthly film festival that takes place at the Main Art in Royal Oak showcasing independent local filmmakers. It’s pretty fun. The bill is looking good for this month’s installment, chock full of all kinds of firepower. WDET has been airing some interviews and stuff with Connie Mangilin, the gal behind the wheel of the whole project. Anyway, it’s all getting going at 7:00 with a reception before. The films start rolling at 7:30pm (this was corrected, it used to 8pm. The correct time is 7:30pm). TFATP is towards the end of the bill screening in the latter part of the evening. Come on out and see the film on the big screen. Maybe throw in a cold beer or two? Forget about it. Come to think of it, make it an evening and head over to Ferndale after to Club Bart for a little Honky Tonk Tuesday.

HONKY TONK TUESDAY?! Is that what I hear you saying? Believe it. Easily one of the more redeeming musical affairs in the metro area, every week it’s a turn-back-the-clock affair re-hashing the sounds of Merle, Waylon, Conway, George, Ernest, Johnnie and Hank. The music usually starts a bit before 10pm, so it’s actually the perfect night in the making.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Who knew?!

Zak Rosen, a producer for WDET Detroit Public Radio, has put together a radio piece on Mark Covington and his efforts with the Georgia Street Community Garden. The piece sure gets the electricity pumping through the veins and gives the listener a very strong sense of the sincere desire that Covington has to make a difference in the city and his neighborhood. Kudos to Zak for producing a piece that so effectively captures one man, his mission and how it is all transforming the way we see Detroit.