Though it's long been the poster boy for urban sprawl and car-centric culture in Metro Detroit, Troy is looking to move in a different direction by hosting this year's University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum.
The forum, set for Nov 7 & 8, will focus on how much of the future development in the U.S. will center around mass transit. Participants from the University of Michigan and the Urban Land Institute will perform a strategic analysis focusing on a potential regional transit center near the intersection of Coolidge Highway and Maple Road. If constructed, the center is expected to serve as a major anchor for transportation and development in Troy.
"One of the objectives of this year's Forum is to attempt to influence development patterns in southeast Michigan -- the only major metropolitan area in the country without a mass transit system," says Christopher Leinberger, director of the Graduate Real Estate Development Program at the University of Michigan.
Development traditionally clusters around mass transit lines, however, that trend is expected to grow as gas prices continue to skyrocket and more people move toward city living. The Troy study, commission by the city and chamber of commerce, will closely examine market trends and land use patterns in the area and evaluated transportation options, market potential and the potential fiscal impact to determine the social, economic and political implications of building transit-oriented development in the community.
The team will reconvene for a four-day design charrette in January, with students, consultants and nationally known architects and urban planners working to implement the approved strategy.
Source: Beverly Lyons, PR Strategies
Writer: Jon Zemke
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