Wayne State experts lead Midtown-based mobile workshop during APA national conference

From April 25-28, more than 4,000 urban planning experts gathered in Detroit for the American Planning Association's 2026 national planning conference. On Sunday, April 26, just over two dozen conference attendees got to participate in a unique, interactive experience: a "mobile workshop" through the streets of Midtown Detroit, led by a host of Wayne State experts.

The sold-out session, "Partnerships for Place: Midtown Detroit and Planning Education," showcased the neighborhood's resurgence and demonstrated how Wayne State - together with its community partners - has served as an engine for positive, inclusive change in Midtown throughout the last two decades.

The workshop centered around a walking- and transit-based loop through Midtown. Led by experts from across the university - including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), the James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering, the Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (DEED), and TechTown - the workshop tasked participants to view the city through varying "user lenses." Members from close community partners such as the Detroit Cultural Center Association (DCCA), the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of Southeast Michigan, and Toole Design also helped lead the experience.

Participants began at the Welcome Center, the southern gateway to Wayne State's campus. As they walked north from the Cass-Gilmour MoGo station to TechTown, they evaluated the infrastructure from the perspective of a first-time visitor without a car, an older adult, and a wheelchair user. After reaching TechTown, they engaged with a panel of current and former Department of Urban Studies and Planning students alongside Dr. Rayman Mohamed, the department's chair.

"We always say the best classroom is the one with no walls, and this workshop was exactly that. Our students are out here, in Detroit, talking to people, asking hard questions, and figuring out how to help people and the city," said CLAS Dean Dr. Stephanie Hartwell. "Having the opportunity to share that on a national stage through the APA's annual conference is something we're incredibly proud of, and it's a reflection of the community that has made it possible."

"The mobile workshop highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of urban planning education at Wayne State, not only in academic terms, but also with administrative units such as DEED," Mohamed said. "Participants got to observe how planning students merge their expertise with civil engineering and economic development experts to discuss the evolution of Midtown and its future as a vibrant, equitable district."

Demonstrating Wayne State's anchor institution mission

From TechTown, participants visited the Woodward-Amsterdam QLINE station, did additional mobility and accessibility evaluations, and took the QLINE to the Warren Ave. QLINE station, where they walked once again to the Welcome Center to conclude the workshop.

In all, the participants took a close look at the Cass Corridor - Midtown's main street - and its surrounding areas to examine what worked, what can be improved in the coming years, and how its lessons can be used elsewhere.

"You can talk about mobility, placemaking, anchor institutions, transit, and neighborhood change in a classroom, but it is different when people are standing at a bike-share station, walking along Cass, visiting TechTown, and riding the QLINE," said workshop leader Dr. Steven Lavrenz, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. "I hope participants came away seeing Midtown as the result of many overlapping partnerships rather than one isolated project or institution."

DEED's Emily Thompson, assistant vice president of regional competitiveness and impact, noted that the workshop demonstrated how Wayne State has furthered its "anchor institution" mission in Midtown and for the city.

"Wayne State has been a key driver in Midtown's transformation over the last two decades, and it can serve as a model for similar efforts around the country," she said. "The university has been active on all fronts: financial investment; disciplinary expertise; creating and expanding institutional and community partnerships, and beyond."

Catalyzing Midtown's growth for decades

Institutional investments from Wayne State have long helped it serve as a catalyst for growth throughout Midtown and Detroit.

Wayne State opened its first modern residence hall in 2002 and today offers more than 2,600 beds, reflecting its shift toward a more residential, 24-hour campus. The university contributed to the construction of the QLINE; conducted the feasibility study for MoGo, Detroit's bike share system; and subsidizes Dart and MoGo passes for students, faculty, and staff. It has also invested in the quality and accessibility of its public spaces, including the soon-to-open $4.3 million upgrade to Keast Commons.

Through its nonprofit entrepreneurship hub, TechTown, and programs like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Wayne State has supported thousands of entrepreneurs - many of them located in and around Midtown. The university also connects the campus community to local businesses through initiatives like Warrior Wednesdays and Show Your OneCard & Save.

On top of these direct investments, Wayne State has been an active partner in collaborative efforts such as Live Midtown - which attracted and retained more than 2,000 residents in the neighborhood, including 571 Wayne State employees - as well as the Cass Avenue streetscape improvements and the Cultural Center Planning Initiative.

Together, these efforts have helped Midtown attract new residents, expand biking and public transit infrastructure, add community green spaces, and improve connectivity across the district.

Learning opportunities within the university that connect students with community partners reinforce this work.

For example, the Department of Urban Studies and Planning offers a master's capstone course in which students work with real-world clients, often Detroit community partners. In 2025, DEED served as the client for a capstone focused on envisioning a "New Center Innovation District," connecting student learning with the area's active planning and development efforts.

In addition, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering operates a Midtown-based studio that engages students in applied work related to Detroit's infrastructure systems and built environment, providing hands-on experience with real-world challenges in an urban context.

"Wayne State's role in Detroit's built environment is not limited to studying the city from a distance," Lavrenz said. "Our students, faculty, and partners are actively engaged in questions of transportation, housing, public space, small business development, technology, and neighborhood change. This work sits at the intersection of engineering, planning, policy, and higher education."

Ultimately, the workshop emphasized how Detroit and its institutions have worked in the face of adversity to create a destination for people to live, work, and play - and why it is one of the best case studies in urban planning and economic development for today's experts.

"Detroit is an especially important place for planners to learn because the challenges and opportunities are visible at the same time," Lavrenz said. "The city has experienced disinvestment, population loss, infrastructure gaps, and uneven access to opportunity - but it also has extraordinary civic capacity, institutional commitment, neighborhood identity, and room to think differently about the future of urban places."

Mobile workshop leaders

• Dr. Rayman Mohamed, chair, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, CLAS
• Dr. Steven Lavrenz, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, Anderson College of Engineering
• Emily Thompson, assistant vice president of regional competitiveness and impact, DEED
• Christianne Malone, chief program officer, TechTown; associate vice president of economic development, DEED
• Annmarie Borucki, interim executive director, DCCA
• Kristin Caffray, senior planning strategist, RTA of Southeast Michigan
• Paul Lippens, Michigan market lead and principal urban designer, Toole Design

For additional questions about Wayne State's APA mobile workshop, contact Emily Thompson at [email protected].

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