CLOSUP publications

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) was launched at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in 2001 to provide public service to the people and communities of Michigan. Over the years, CLOSUP has...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the 2020 U.S. Census, including their confidence in the potential accuracy of the count both locally and at the state level, as well as information about local...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

The COVID-19 crisis is having a dramatic impact on Michigan's local governments, and the fiscal implications—including emergency spending, revenue losses, and budget cuts—are already being felt. Here you will find not just up-to-date information but...

New York (NY) is located in the northeastern part of the United States (U.S.) and is home to the largest U.S. city. It is the 4th most populous state and also has the 3rd biggest economy in the U.S. New Yorkers consume less total energy per capita...

As states across the U.S. continue to undergo a vast and seemingly inevitable energy transition (e.g., fossil fuels to renewables), one understudied challenge is ensuring that there is a workforce prepared for this structural shift. This brief...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This report presents the experiences and opinions of Michigan’s local government clerks and other city and township leaders regarding three statewide voting and election reforms: 1) voter registration up to 15 days before an election via mail,...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature. These...

This report presents local government leaders' views on the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan through May of 2020, including impacts on the state and its communities, expectations for how long negative impacts would persist, evaluations of governmental...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding a variety of energy and environmental issues, and how this information might inform the Office of Climate and Energy’s programming as it relates to community energy...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

The most recent U.S. American Community Survey revealed that despite a second year of growth for median income in Michigan, poverty rates for residents in the state’s poorest cities-- Detroit and Flint-- have stagnated. Survey results also uncover...

Despite voting Republican in every presidential election since Reagan, Texas was one of the first states to adopt a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and is now ranked third nationally in production of renewable energy, beaten only by California...

The city of Detroit, Michigan, is undergoing a development boom unlike anything it has seen in recent years. The District Detroit is one such project, pioneered by one of the city’s most recognized families. What is difficult to discern, though, is...

As the effects of climate change intensify and Earth’s supply of fossil fuels continues to dwindle in the face of expanding consumerism and rising populations, the development of clean energy alternatives is more important than ever. Michigan’s...

Early conservation efforts were focused on setting aside lands to remain undeveloped and for plant and animal species to have a protected zone. Shifting environmental problems such as climate change have created a need for conservation efforts to...

Literature suggests that incorporating urban agricultural practices into urban planning and policy making could be an effective method of improving economic and environmental sustainability, as well as increasing urban food security if adopted on a...