Category Archives: Ideas

As Ysilantians set out to rewrite their City’s quarter century old Master Plan, they assess what’s working, what’s not, and their shared vision for the future

By Mark | March 14, 2013

The people of Ypsilanti are currently going through the process of rewriting the City’s Master Plan. The exhaustive undertaking, which has been constructed in such a way as to incorporate the input from as many community members as possible, is already well under way, but, over the coming months, there will still be ample opportunities [...]

Also posted in History, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Anne Stevenson, Ave Maria, Bee Roll, burritos, charette, city planning, Desmond Miller, D’Real Graham, EMU. College Place, form based code, Leigh Greden, manufacturing, Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Murph, Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, Pete Murdock, Phil Hollifield, Richard Murphy, Ricky Jefferson, roundabouts, Teresa Gillotti, Vice, VIsteon, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project, Ypsilanti City Master Plan, Ypsilanti vice district, zoning, zoning ordinance | 30 Comments

The possibility of a farmers market on Ypsilanti’s Water Street

By Mark | November 26, 2012

Over the course of the past week or so, I’ve posted twice about the 38-acre vacant lot at the heart of downtown Ypsilanti commonly referred to as Water Street. In the first post, which was written in response to news that Family Dollar had expressed interest in building on the site, I outlined my objection [...]

Also posted in Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Amanda Edmonds, business incubators, business models, CDC, city planning, Community Development Corporation, dollar stores, Eastern Leaders, economic development, Family Dollar, farmers market, food entrepreneurship, food hub, food stamps, funding, Growing Hope, healthy food access, International Public Markets Conference, Jean Henry, John Knott, kitchen incubator, Michigan Farmers’ Market Association, national chains, North Charleston Noisette, season extension, Smith furniture building, sustainable urbanism, visioning, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project | 28 Comments

Celebrating May Day in Ypsilanti with warnings of vampires, and camaraderie on Water Street

By Mark | April 30, 2012

I’m not quite sure how he pulled it off, but my friend Jeff, by calling in a few favors, and doing a bit of bartering, has been able to publish a new Ypsi-themed work by famed historian Peter Linebaugh. The 75-page pamphlet, entitled “Ypsilanti Vampire May Day,” is the first thing to be published on [...]

Also posted in History, Michigan, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged 1886, Agrarian Law, Alan Haber, Benton Harbor, blood funnel, commons, Corporate Crime, corporate state, corporate takeover of politics, Dracula, Edward Pinkney, Emergency Financial Manager, Goldman Sachs, Greece, Haymarket Riot, Jeff Clark, Matt Taibbi, May Day, Occupy Ypsilanti, Peter Linebaugh, Rome, Sulla, vampire squid, vampires, Voltaire, Water Street | 13 Comments

How do you convey to people the seriousness of what’s happening to Michigan’s working class?

By Mark | April 23, 2012

Why is it that we allow the Republicans to refer to themselves as the anti-tax party, when they keep demonstrating that they clearly aren’t? Sure, they’re all for the cutting of business taxes, inheritance taxes, and other taxes that would threaten to decrease the wealth of their party’s high-net-worth donors, but, invariably, those shifts in [...]

Also posted in Civil Liberties, Politics, Special Projects, Uncategorized | Tagged anti-university, class warfare, crazy ideas that just might work, Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC, Emergency Financial Manager, Emergency Financial Manager Act, higher education, income disparity, income tax, Kickstarter, local income tax, Michael Stampfler, Michigan, Michigan Republicans, progressive taxation, public education, revolution, tax credits, tax policy, tax the rich, we need a revolution | 58 Comments

Zingerman’s co-founder Paul Saginaw on the importance of robust local business ecosystems, the upcoming BALLE conference in Grand Rapids, and the meaning of “real prosperity”

By Mark | April 22, 2012

For the first time ever, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) will be holding its national, annual conference for independently owned, socially responsible businesses, here, in Michigan. The meeting, which is being called Real Prosperity Starts Here, is scheduled to take place in Grand Rapids this May, and, as of right now, I’m [...]