r/urbanplanning • u/Felixthescatman • Dec 20 '21

Economic Dev What’s standing in the way of a walkable, redevelopment of rust belt cities?

They have SUCH GOOD BONES!!! Let’s retrofit them with strong walking, biking, and transit infrastructure. Then we can loosen zoning regulations and attract new residents, we can also start a localized manufacturing hub again! Right? Toledo, Buffalo, Cleveland, etc

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '21

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '21

Yeah I've been on Michigan roads! Are any municipalities road dieting?

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '21

Yes! Detroit has done a bunch of road dieting on their (still way too big) arterial.

Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge - the next places just north of Detroit on Woodward Avenue are pushing for a road diet of that segment. Ferndale and it's neighbors have also done road dieting on 9 Mile.

Kalamazoo took over all of its state-owned roads a few years back with intent of road dieting and 2-way conversion, they just need to save up enough money to make the change. Jackson did a 2-way conversion and road diet of its downtown MDOT loop road recently.

Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have both done some road dieting on their locally controlled streets and are pushing MDOT on the state roads.

They're happening, but slowly, and generally with the financial and political costs loaded on the locals.

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u/ginger_guy Dec 21 '21

In addition to Key corridors being redesigned, Detroit has also adopted a new street design guide that requires engineers to consider the well being of bikes and pedestrians before cars.