CLOSUP was established in 2001 to create a bridge between the University of Michigan and Michigan's communities. We are celebrating 25 years of CLOSUP, featuring voices of past and current directors, students, and partners.
At a time when many of us are concerned about the strength of democracy in the U.S. and around the world, CLOSUP's research tells us that democracy remains strongest at the local level. Every day, in jurisdictions across the state, local officials in...
Two leading voices for rural prosperity: Tony Pipa (Scholar, Center for Sustainable Development, Brookings Institution, and Host, Reimagine Rural Podcast), share his experiences visiting rural communities across the country, and Sarah Lucas (Director...
The 2023 Mayors Forum will focus on topics particular to Big Ten college cities including development of infrastructure that promotes social cohesion, challenges and opportunities of creating an infrastructure for urban technology, and campus and com...
Former Michigan Representatives Andy Levin (D-MI) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Amb (ret) Susan Page, Michigan Law and Ford School professor will explore the bipartisan challenge of restoring faith in our democratic systems and highlight ways to uphold...
In a final webinar in our redistricting series, a panel looks back on Michigan's new approach to redistricting by an independent citizens commission. November, 2022.
Learn more about the event and speakers.
The tumult of the first years of this decade has played out in our nation’s cities and thrust the challenges and opportunities for mayors and their leadership into the spotlight. September, 2022.
CLOSUP and its nonprofit partner XBRL US are developing a new open data standard, based on eXtensible Business Language Reporting (XBRL), to modernize and digitize Michigan local government financial reporting. XBRL formatted financial statements are...
The Ford School is proud to celebrate the achievements of the graduating classes of 2022! The Charge to the Class will be delivered by the dynamic writer, climate activist, and indigenous leader Julian Brave NoiseCat.
Join us for a lively discussion on Michigan’s new redistricting approach and new maps that will shape elections and decision making in Michigan for the next decade. January 19, 2022.
This webinar analyzes the testimony the Commission has received from citizens and Communities of Interest about their mapping preferences, a discussion of the timeline for creating final maps, and useful tips for the public. September, 2021.
Jacqueline Patterson, Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project, and Kyle Whyte, Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, discuss environmental and climate justice. September, 2021.
Tom Ivacko discusses Michigan's innovative approach to political redistricting by a citizens' commission instead of by the legislature. September, 2022. Learn more: https://myumi.ch/7ZQo2
Stephanie Leiser, lecturer in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, discusses the Local Fiscal Health Project, an initiative of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy to help local governments navigate fiscal challenges.
The meeting agenda for 9/2/21 included racially polarized voting analysis, Voting Rights Act analysis, and map drawing for State Senate districts for Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties. A second meeting was held at 5pm.
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Sarah Mills, Heather Millar, and Iñigo Martínez Peniche discuss the political challenges and opportunities associated with siting and building renewable energy projects in the United States, Canada and Mexico. April 2021.
In this webinar, MICRC Commissioners Douglas Clark, Rebbeca Szetela and Dustin Witjes introduce themselves and discuss plans for their first public hearings, which will take place all over the state in May and June. Then, a panel of redistricting exp...
Learn how to participate in the process of drawing the new district maps in Michigan, the role of "communities of interest", and how to engage with the new Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in the redistricting process. February ...
Michigan Minds Podcast: Sarah Mills, senior research specialist and program manager at the Ford School of Public Policy and the Graham Sustainability Institute, discusses her research examining the impact of renewable energy on rural communities and ...
