The Metro

Detroit is undergoing changes. You can see it as you drive around. From the murals to the development and redevelopment of particular areas, Detroit can be the model for what it looks like to create a more inclusive city for all. 

And with Detroit being the only U.S. city with a UNESCO Design City designation, it's natural for Detroit to be at the forefront of major changes that include a creative flair.

UNESCO or The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization promotes international cooperation in various fields to build peace and sustainable development worldwide. 

Over the next month, Detroit Month of Design will celebrate 10 years as a UNESCO city of design, with more than 95 events featuring more than 500 creatives in the city. 

SustainACity is one of those events. It's curated by Asia Hamilton, the founder and director of Norwest Gallery of Art. Hamilton is also the Climate Resilience Program Manager for the City of Detroit. 

She spoke on The Metro about what a reimagined Detroit could look like with environmental health at the forefront.

Detroit’s schools are still recovering from the deep wounds of systemic neglect. Redlining, segregation, and a crash in city revenue starved schools of resources. Meanwhile, state funding for Detroit continues to lag behind wealthier districts. 

But like the city itself, Detroit schools have been slowly, steadily rising. The latest glimmer is the new M‑STEP results.

A Chalkbeat Detroit analysis of Michigan’s 2024-25 standardized tests show Detroit’s third‑graders reading at their best level in over a decade. Still, only about 13 percent of DPSCD students reached reading proficiency, that’s compared to nearly 39 percent statewide.

So what do these modest gains really mean, and how long can they last?

Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, joined Robyn Vincent to answer these questions.

Two months ago, a campaign to enact ranked choice voting in Michigan got off the ground. 

Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill in the House along party lines to ban ranked choice voting. But even its Republican sponsor admitted that if voters approve it on the ballot, that would override the ban.

Joe Spaulding, campaign director for Rank MI Vote, spoke with Robyn Vincent about why he believes ranked choice voting will make our political system more, not less, democratic.

When protests on college campuses in response to the Israel-Hamas war erupted across the nation, leaders at some universities cracked down.

The conflict between demonstrators and university officials raises questions about the limits of free speech for college students, and it's just one of many points of friction on campuses that major institutions must confront. 

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum is a psychologist who has spent over 40 years in higher education. She spent 13 of those years as the president Spelman College. Dr. Tatum believes these institutions need to create an environment to work through deep divisions. 

She joined the show to discuss her new book "Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times" and how officials at major institutions can do that. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

As flotilla missions face fire abroad, longtime organizers like Huwaida Arraf are pressing for a bold global strategy to aid Palestinians.

Earlier this month, Arraf was a featured speaker at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, where she called to “globalize the Intifada” as a worldwide movement for justice. The Arabic word intifada literally means “shaking off.” In Palestinian history, it refers to popular uprisings against Israeli occupation. 

Arraf, a Detroit-born civil rights attorney and Palestinian-American activist, co-founded the International Solidarity Movement and has helped lead several of the Gaza Freedom Flotillas — boats attempting to sail toward Gaza, break Israel’s naval blockade, and deliver humanitarian aid.

As Gaza’s suffering deepens and pleas for justice grow louder, Arraf spoke with Robyn Vincent about the world’s silence, and how long it can last.

Wayne State University and the University of Michigan are facing criticism over their treatment of students participating in pro-Palestine protests.

Zach Greenberg, Faculty Legal Defense and Student Association Counsel for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), joined The Metro to discuss where free speech is protected by law, and where it crosses the line.

I-375 is not just a concrete thoroughfare — it is a reminder of how Black neighborhoods were sacrificed, and how the promise of repair remains unresolved today.

When it opened in the 1960s, the freeway bulldozed Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. Those neighborhoods had been cultural and economic hubs for Black Detroiters. Residents were displaced and businesses were cut off.

Decades later, state and city leaders proposed replacing that mile of freeway with a surface boulevard. They said the plan was more than infrastructure. It was meant to acknowledge the historic harm wrought by I‑375’s construction.

But costs for the plan soared. And the design? Well, it still looks like a highway to many. Earlier this month, MDOT hit pause. Supporters call the pause a chance to rethink, but critics worry it means the project may never get off the ground.

Michigan State Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) has been one of the most vocal leaders pressing for change. She has pushed to scale back the boulevard, center safety, and she wants to ensure any new land honors the legacy of families and businesses displaced decades ago.

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what the start of real repair could look like.

Despite living in a hyper-connected internet world, connecting with others is often difficult to accomplish in the physical world. But the availability of parks and recreation centers can change that, removing friction that sometimes prevents people from bonding and creating new memories. 

That’s why the August opening of the Chandler Park Fieldhouse was significant. The domed facility features a turf sports field, track, multi-sports court, fitness area, lockers and showers. 

Why exactly do recreation centers allow people to connect? And, what is the city doing to construct more of them? 

Detroit’s General Services Director Crystal Perkins joined Robyn Vincent to discuss.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The City of Detroit is known for its arts. It's not as well known for its contributions to the greater development of those artistic fields, yet Detroit is the only U.S. city with the title of a UNESCO City of Design. 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) promotes international cooperation in various fields to build peace and sustainable development worldwide. Detroit is one of over 40 cities sharing resources and knowledge, allowing greater access to creative solutions.

Design Core Detroit was the organization that applied for the designation. Design Core Detroit provided proof that the city has had a major hand in moving industries with the innovative minds of the people who call Detroit home.

The organization curates the city-wide and month-long event, Detroit Month of Design festival. There will be more than 500 creative spirits in Detroit spanning across the city with exhibitions, panel discussions and immersive teaching events.

The goal is to bring as many innovative people as possible together to develop new inspiring realities for all people. It's a way for Detroit and its residents to come together and build a brighter future through design and a creative flair.

This year’s theme is city of design, celebrating 10 years as a UNESCO Design City. Co-Executive Director of Design Core Detroit Kiana Wenzell stopped by The Metro to talk more about the month-long event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

There’s a new mural festival coming to the downriver area. Paint The Park is a 2-week-long festival that is bringing large-scale murals to downtown Allen Park. It runs from September 1-13, 2025. 

Michelle Tanguay is an artist and the founder of The Mural People. Benjamin Hughes is Director of Allen Park Downtown Development Authority. They both joined The Metro to talk about the first Paint the Park and what makes Allen Park special to its residents.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.