City of Detroit

Alumni spotlight, State & Hill

Building tech to support small towns: U-M team develops digital tool for SEC compliance

May 9, 2025

When Congress passed the Financial Data and Transparency Act (FDTA) in 2022, it required all municipalities in the U.S. to modernize and digitize their financial reports. This is a heavy lift for small towns and school districts, most of which still...

Building tech to support small towns: U-M team develops digital tool for SEC compliance

News

Leiser and Shaefer comment on Detroit bankruptcy anniversary

Jul 18, 2023

As the city of Detroit marked the 10th anniversary of its declaration of bankruptcy, publications took stock of the progress the city has made. Bloomberg quoted the Center for Local, State and Urban Policy’s (CLOSUP) Stephanie Leiser, who leads the...

Leiser and Shaefer comment on Detroit bankruptcy anniversary

In the Media

Detroit Marks Bankruptcy Anniversary by Borrowing Big to Tackle Blight

Jul 12, 2023 Bloomberg

Detroit is poised to mark the 10th anniversary of its historic bankruptcy by tapping the municipal bond market for $100 million of financing, most of which will go toward its program of reviving blighted...

News

Ford School welcomes PPIA 2023 cohort

Jun 19, 2023

The 2023 Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute (JSI) has welcomed 23 students from 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This year’s cohort will spend seven weeks taking classes, participating in...

News

Ivacko debates 2022 hot topics

Jan 5, 2022

Selected as a panelist for Hour Detroit's 2022 political predictions, Tom Ivacko, Executive Director of CLOSUP, weighed in on some of the most burning questions about Michigan's 2022 elections. The first question: How would Roe v. Wade, and...

Meijer's impeachment vote makes it "significantly more challenging" for Republican Senate nomination - Ivacko

In the Media

7 Burning Questions for 2022

Jan 5, 2022 Hour Detroit

Will Gretchen Whitmer be reelected? Will Detroit allow recreational pot shops to open? How will Coleman Young II and once-nemesis Mike Duggan get along? Our panelists make their...

In the Media

Experts: Duggan's denial of facial recognition software hinges on 3 words

Jul 16, 2019 Detroit Free Press

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News

Ivacko evaluates independence of Detroit's IG in lieu of Mayor Duggan investigation

Apr 12, 2019

An investigation into Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has some questioning the impartiality of Inspector General (IG) Ellen Ha. The investigation in Mayor Duggan is looking into the appearance of preferential treatment of a nonprofit prenatal program...

Ivacko evaluates independence of Detroit's IG in lieu of Mayor Duggan investigation

News

David Bohnett mayoral fellowship program featured in Governing Magazine

Dec 7, 2017

The David Bohnett Leadership and Public Service Fellowship program, which has provided generous support to 20 Ford School graduate students since its launch in 2010, is highlighted today in an article by Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene,...

David Bohnett mayoral fellowship program featured in Governing Magazine

CLOSUP Lecture Series

Revitalizing Detroit: A Panel Discussion on Urban Planning and Community Involvement

Mar 25, 2011, 12:00-1:30 pm EDT

Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Abstract This event begins with a guided bus tour of the City of Detroit, to provide a first hand look at areas of the city that demonstrate the wide range of neighborhood experiences, from those in stress to those already undergoing extensive revitalization. After the tour, the panel discussion will focus on the Detroit Works Project, and the role of community groups in efforts to revitalize the city.

Working Papers

The Effects on Cities of "Best Practice" in Tax Foreclosure: Evidence from Detroit and Flint

February 1, 2009

Margaret Dewar

Although property abandonment affects many cities, little is known about what becomes of that property or what institutional differences lead to varied outcomes. More rapid tax foreclosure in Michigan, touted as best practice nationally, offers the...