The American City: Detroit and Beyond
Robin Buckson, Detroit News
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Detroit commemorates 325 years since its founding. While we ponder what it means to be American in the twenty-first century, the Critical Engagements team invites our community to think about a question that’s both more concrete and closer to home: what lessons do Michigan cities have to offer?
The story of America can, in many ways, be told through its cities. Michigan’s cities, in particular, both witnessed and wrote key chapters in the nation’s history: invasion, expansion and (re)settlement, immigration, innovation, internal migration, decline, conflict, and renewal. Detroit, in particular, has served as a crucible for urban ingenuity and inequality, and now offers a model for innovation in the 21st century. From its role as an arsenal of democracy in World War II to its recent leadership in urban agriculture, Detroit reveals much about the country’s past, present, and future.
Through an interdisciplinary lens, Critical Engagements will explore what Detroit and Michigan’s other major cities can teach us. Together, we’ll examine themes such as immigration, industry, design, urban unrest, gentrification, housing, gardening, and more—asking where Detroit, and the nation, are headed in the years to come. We have our eyes on other Michigan cities, too, from Flint to Grand Rapids, from Traverse City to Benton Harbor, drawing on lessons from urban history and culture around the nation and the world.
The Team: 2026–2027 Steering Committee
Jim Ananich (Greater Flint Health Coalition, Michigan Gaming Control Board)
Christi Brookes (Department of History, World Languages, and Cultures)
Daniel M. Gaken (Leadership Institute)
Thomas Greitens (School of Politics, Society, Justice & Public Service)
Salma Haidar (School of Health Sciences)
Octavia Jennings (University Advancement)
Sharon Kukla-Acevedo (School of Politics, Society, Justice, and Public Service)
Matt Liesch (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies)
Gina McGovern (Department of Human Development & Family Studies)
Cleamon Moorer (Department of Entrepreneurship)
Nikita Murry (University Engagement and Student Affairs)
Jeffrey Sauger (School of Communication, Journalism & Media)
Greg Smith (Department of History, World Languages, and Cultures)
Amanda Suchy (Department of Biology)
Cedric Taylor (School of Politics, Society, Justice & Public Service)
Marcy Taylor (College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences)
Rhonda Welsh (Detroit Outreach)
Bryan Whitledge (Clarke Historical Library)
Melanie Whitelow (Office of the Provost)
Resources
Featured Courses
GEO 331: Introductory Urban Planning (Fall 2026)
GEO 340: Urban Geography (Spring 2026)
HON 321DE: The American City: Detroit and Beyond (Spring 2026)
SPN 370V and 470V: The Right to the City: Mexico & Detroit (Spring 2026)
