Sometimes things seem insignificant upon first glance, but look different upon reflection. After a few years of being separated in friendship, I’ve reconnected with some of my guy friends. Something sparks the reconnect, and soon I’m in their home or their parents’ home, trying to recover the past and facilitate…

When you step outside and see people nearby, your political preferences shift. The idea is so simple it retains surprising durability. Living in close proximity to your neighbors significantly changes your own political affiliation — the more neighbors you have within a smaller radius, the more liberal your political positions…

Changing the city’s physical structures may create different social outcomes for residents In the last half century, Detroit’s infrastructure hasn’t changed much. That’s especially true since its highways were constructed. And when people stop changing — when they no longer envision a different physical world — they sometimes get caught…

How stretches of northern Oakland County and southern Wayne County voted — and what that meant for the midterms Politics has become more predictable. The more closely people are living together — in suburbs or cities — the more likely they are to vote Democrat. The further out one stretches…

Capturing the power of cohorts To tackle climate change, and create a more integrated society, the Civilian Climate Corps shouldn’t be abandoned The beginning of Anand Giridharadas’ “Winners Take All” centers itself within a moral dilemma. A young, idealistic college student is about to go off into the world and…

Why concerns about the 13th Congressional District race — and Michigan’s political maps — are misdirected Some are understandably upset with recent election results and the state’s electoral maps. They should be upset with our voting system. If there’s one story line that has captured Detroiters attention in the last…

Midterm contests are hot in the least dense, almost exurban-like suburbs To the north — Troy, Rochester, Rochester Hills. To the south, Downriver. In either space, voters are searching for familiar language & cultural signals that speak most to them. When the 2020 presidential race was gaining steam that summer…

Build in popular places — and make it easier for all people to flock there A political project for our moment Those succeeding today are the ones already-living in or are relocating to opportunity-rich areas. This is at least the conclusion of a slew of studies from urban policy wonks…

The politics of proximity The promise of bringing us closer together — and the perils of its opposite America’s geography is vast. It’s also vastly different. Striking pines and cedars wind their way up the northwestern corridor; the Great Lakes awash themselves against Midwestern states; a vast ocean draws a…