Detroit is functioning, excelling and overachieving in ways that do not have precedent anywhere else on Earth, and therefore it is profoundly difficult to recognize for those stuck in old paradigms, dreaming of resurrection and emerald cities.

Monday, January 21, at least 10 shots were fired from an SUV a man was killed on the sidewalk, about a thousand feet from my front door. But I don't feel unsafe is because the neighborhood mobilized instantly.

Opening your home or other private space is an easy way to strengthen your bonds with people you trust and care for simply by spending time together. At the same time it helps to build community.

What a year Detroit's Midtown and Downtown has had in attracting new and relocated businesses to its core. Welcome to each one of you.

Recreation centers provide a much-needed -- and safe -- "escape." Most importantly, recreation centers enhance the quality of life for all people -- young and old. And the life lessons learned by participating in activities at recreation centers will have a long-lasting impact. I can attest to that firsthand.

Qualitative measures like school appearance, safety and openness to parents and community are essential to any school becoming a neighborhood anchor and are also, quite measurable.

My top priority is making Detroit a world-class city again. As state representative in the 4th district, I will work to achieve this goal by urging our state to invest in infrastructure, education, and our neighborhoods.

As a native Detroiter, being back in the city for the summer reminds me that the city is entering a peculiar era as a new group of Detroiters move in while many lifelong city dwellers seek lives elsewhere, oftentimes due to uncontrollable situations.

This article first appeared on the Urban Innovation Exchange. By Tunde Wey Tall with an easy saunter, Kirk Mayes is an ambitious man. His gentle...

The Class of 2012 at Detroit Cristo Rey High School took a risk by signing up for a Catholic, college-preparatory school that had not even opened, they worked harder than they had before, and 100 percent have been accepted into college.

Detroit will turn around, and does every day, when we understand the power we have to transform the way we function. Every day we must remind ourselves that this is our community and we have the power to change it.

While a big fist hangs defiantly in the shadow of City Hall, Detroit packs more than a punch -- it packs the collective energy of a city and region that epitomize resiliency.

We have to band together to not only protect each other, but to provide for each other, share with each other, feed each other, care for each other and more importantly love each other in these tough times, Detroit.

People working every day to help their communities in Detroit too rarely get large-scale attention for their efforts. But several groups in Detroit ca...

At a time when economic revival is a top priority, an important hindrance is the increasing level of violence. There can be no incentive large enough for the American family or the entrepreneur, than the lure of a safe and productive community.

I have been to Paris and Pakistan, Istanbul and Bosnia. But I have never seen anything quite like this: Detroit is a state-of-the-art, urban frontier. My tattered hometown has, somehow, become "revisionist cool."

Essays and articles abound about our city these days (go ahead, add this one to the pile). We pontificate with an eye on business activity and an artistic renaissance. But how often do we take a human perspective?

We recognize that Occupy Detroit has attracted the participation of people from across Michigan. This is a good thing, if people take the time to understand the current work of Detroit's social movements.