Daily Detroit

Today on Daily Detroit, photographer and urbanism enthusiast Ryan Southen joins me to share what it's actually like to walk the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge.

We admire the architecture, the breathtaking views of the river and skyline, and what the experience is like going from the American side to the Canadian side — and the huge difference between the two.

Plus, Ryan shares a few practical tips on parking near and navigating the span if you're planning to check it out yourself.

Thanks to our members on Patreon for supporting the show! Join our new $3.13 tier to support work in the 313.

Don't forget our Saturday Summer Studio open house! 10a-1p, free coffee, free donuts, free conversation. Please RSVP so we know how much food to get. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator

Greektown has been a staple of downtown Detroit for generations. I have so many great memories as a kid, and it's one of the most "city-feeling" areas of Detroit, and has a litany of great restaurants, bars, and more.

Now, a major transformation has made Monroe Street more flexible, pedestrian-friendly, and vibrant for the future.

Norris Howard and I sat down with Lori Singleton, landscape architect and design director at SmithGroup, to break down the vision behind the new Greektown streetscape.

We dive into:

• The Shift to Pedestrian-First Design and why sacrificing some on-street parking allowed for expanded outdoor dining, curbless walkways, and flexible plaza spaces.
• How clever systems and underground engineering keep street trees healthy without destroying sidewalks or drowning roots.
• And how incremental public space improvements — from the Dequindre Cut, to Beacon Park, to Capitol Park, to Grand Circus Park — are reshaping how people experience downtown Detroit.

There are more images in our newsletter going out tonight. Sign up here: https://www.dailydetroit.com/

Remember that our Summer Studio Open House is SATURDAY MORNING! It's free, but please RSVP on Eventbrite so we know how much coffee and donuts to get. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator

Make sure to follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get shows.

Thanks to our members on Patreon! We have our new $3.13 tier to keep local media alive in the 313.

Writer and director Larry J. Sanders joins the show to discuss his upcoming documentary, Shockwave, which explores the legacy of the three-time champion Detroit Shock.

We dig into why one of the WNBA's most dominant early dynasties seemed to abruptly vanish from the city — and why their story deserves way more credit in league history.

Plus, with a new WNBA franchise set to arrive in Detroit in 2029, we break down what it takes to honor the past while building the future of local sports.

You can check out the teaser here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEXSRJ44hDo

More information: https://bio.site/shockwavefilm

Our Summer Studio Open House is Saturday, August 15! Come join us for free coffee, donuts and conversation: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator

In this special post-election edition of Daily Detroit, we break down the high-stakes results from Tuesday's primary elections across Michigan.

In this episode:

• How Abdul El-Sayed pulled off a razor-thin victory over Haley Stevens despite massive outside spending, driven by strong overperformances in places like Kent and Ingham Counties.

• The failure of heavy television spending and why multi-million dollar ad blitzes failed to deliver wins for Stevens and Perry Johnson over on the Republican side.

• Wayne County voters overwhelmingly approved a regional transit expansion, powered by strong turnout from voters under 30.

• Downballot, Donovan McKinney defeated Shri Thanedar in the 13th Congressional District to restore Black representation in Detroit, plus updates on victories for Justin Onwenu, Joanna Whaley, and others.

• Why the polling was hot garbage.

• Plus, we get into listener questions on general election strategy, messaging, and unifying moderate and progressive voters against Mike Rogers.

Support the Show: Keep Daily Detroit fearless, independent, and free! Join our brand new $3.13 Patreon Tier today! https://patreon.com/DailyDetroit

On today's episode, I talked to Norris Howard about why he moved back to Detroit. We wanted to take a minute and talk honestly about why he did it — and what we both would tell anyone else thinking about doing the same.

Norris was nominated by his fellow residents and named a Move Detroit ambassador, and so we figured this was a good time to share a bit of the backstory. That said, his opinions are his own and don't necessarily represent everyone else or the organization itself.

This episode is part personal reflection, part practical advice.

We get into the reasons people come back to Detroit, what to know before you move here, and how to think about neighborhoods, culture, and building a life in the city.

If you're considering a move to Detroit, or just curious about what it takes to make it work here, I think you'll get something out of this one.

More on Move Detroit: https://www.movedetroit.com/

Follow us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942

In this episode, I sit down with parent Brandi "BrandiTheeMillennialManager" McGill and sociologist Dr. Aya Waller‑Bey — along with my regular co-host Norris Howard — to talk about what started when one parent trying to get a soccer program at Denby that has snowballed into a saga that has started a lot of conversations around the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

We dig into class, charter flight, black flight to the suburbs, exam schools versus neighborhood schools, and much more. It's one of the most important conversations to be had in the city of Detroit, as it's going to be very difficult to make Detroit's comeback stick without open conversations about the schools.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District has undoubtedly made progress. For instance, a recent Chalkbeat Detroit report says DPSCD's high school graduation rate of 83% is now almost on par with the state average, and the highest since 2008.

But a number of parents feel frustrated with what they see: a lack of equity of programs, facilities, and outcomes across the district's schools. That there feels to be a wide gap between the district's elite schools that you test into, and those in the neighborhoods for everyone else.

Complicating all of this? Less than half of Detroit's children go to the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

According to a Detroit PEER report in 2025, a group out of Wayne State University, only about 78,000 of the 106,000 public school students who live in Detroit (about 73%) go to school in the city.

Of those, about 48,000 attend school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) and about 30,000 attend a Detroit charter school.

The remaining 29,000 students or so (that's about 27%) go to school outside of the city, attending either a traditional public school in the suburbs through inter-district choice or a charter school located in the suburbs.

There's a lot of talk about Detroit's comeback, but in order to make it stick, schools are crucial.

This real conversation also includes Norris sharing his own experience with Detroit schools as a graduate, and what he's seen as an adult.

We also get into the upcoming DPSCD school board election and candidates, upcoming meetings, and how showing up in person can change the direction of the district.

Feedback as always - dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

Make sure to follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I've been watching Michigan politics for a long time, and this Abdul El-Sayed vs. Haley Stevens primary feels like the front line of a bigger national reckoning. With Norris Howard and Devon O'Reilly, we unpack the pissed-off electorate, Whitmer's data-center problem, and how PAC money and billionaire money are backfiring with voters.

Many think that Michigan is a purple state, full of moderate ideas; and we talk about how voters are more angry than anything else.

We talk about Trump's underwater numbers, Mike Rogers' vulnerability, and why running against the Democratic establishment might be the only way Democrats win in November.

If you're trying to read the Petoskey stones on where American politics goes next, Michigan is a good place to start.

Follow the show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942

Norris and Jer sit down with Detroit News restaurant critic Melody Baetens to talk about the city's post‑COVID dining boom, why consistency is key to winning, and what's driving all the new global flavors around town.

Then they dig into the Greater Detroit Music Census, how local venues are struggling to keep live shows on the calendar, and what it would take for Detroit to lean into being a music city for working musicians and locales.

Read Melody's work here: https://www.detroitnews.com/staff/2647007001/melody-baetens/

In this episode, I sit down with Transportation Riders United executive director Megan Owens to unpack Wayne County's transit millage and what it could mean for riders in Detroit and the suburbs.

We get into how countywide service could end "opt‑out" communities, bring buses and microtransit to places like Livonia, Canton and Plymouth, and better connect rural townships to trunk lines.

I also talk with Megan about a new $25 million BUILD grant for Gratiot, Macomb County's renewal interest in SMART, and how to actually find the transit question at the bottom of your ballot.

More on TRU: https://www.detroittransit.org/

Our studio open house on Saturday, August 15: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator

Make sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get shows.

Today's Daily Detroit is a little different. I've got two shorter conversations that are too good to leave behind, so we're stitching them together into one episode for you.

First up is American Arab Chamber executive director Bilal Hammoud. We talk about just how big Arab American economic power has become in Michigan, with more than 150,000 businesses and an estimated $100 billion in economic contribution over the last decade.

We get into how that connects to a more globally minded, relationship‑driven approach to economic development. Bilal makes the case for de‑siloing Michigan's innovation ecosystem, learning from places like Dubai and New York, and treating immigration as a core growth strategy between now and 2030.

Then we shift gears to the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center with Detroit Zoological Society executive director and CEO Dr. Hayley Murphy. She walks us through the new Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails, a seven‑acre "outdoor living classroom" with everything from goats to stingrays.

Plus, we talk about the zoo's $185 million projected annual economic impact.

We also get into free programming at the Belle Isle Nature Center, special evenings for families in shelters and with medically fragile kids, and a millage renewal later this year that keeps the whole operation going.

As always, I'd love to know what you think of this format, or anything else about the show. Drop me a line at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 313‑789‑3211.