Detroit Training Institute
Mobile Courses

Combine a tour of Detroit's neighborhoods with one of these courses, designed to combine local awareness and case studies with key knowledge for today's community revitalization needs.

NR400 Urban Dynamics of a Great American City: The History of Detroit — TOUR
A city is the setting for dynamic processes "forces both inside and outside impacting its health, causing people to move in and out, from a city's birth through booms to bust and, sometimes, to the city's renaissance. Detroit, home to the American auto industry, boomed at the epicenter of the international auto industry and the creation of the industrial manufacturing system that re-defined the economy of the USA and other developed nations around the world during the first half of the 20th century. The decline of the USA's auto industry and the emergence of a post-industrial economy encountered Detroit ill prepared for the changing dynamics, transforming it over the last fifty years into the poster-child for post-industrial urban decay. But in today's restructuring economy Detroit's residents and strong civic sector, in partnership with a resurgent public sector are organizing its renaissance. Taught by a life-long Detroit resident, urban activist, and professor of planning, this course will explore Detroit's history through a tour of its neighborhoods, analyze its pressing problems, and develop an understanding of the urban dynamics and planning strategies reshaping Detroit today.

NR261 Strategies for More Livable Neighborhoods — SITE VISIT
Revitalization efforts are often challenged by neighborhood areas that are stagnant, lifeless shells of an earlier, more vital time. How do you transform these deteriorated, often unsafe spaces into vibrant and people-friendly neighborhood streetscapes, yards and gathering places? This course is a guide to engaging stakeholders and using innovative methods to create neighborhoods that are magnets for people to live, work and socialize. Bring your "place-making" challenges to this course and through a site visit, hands-on activities and place-making tools and techniques, learn how to create people-friendly, livable environments.

ED145 Energize Your Local Economy with a Public Market — SITE VISIT
Local, public markets are making an incredible comeback across the country. Learn what type of market is best for you and how to plan a market that will be sustainable for your community. The course will provide an introductory overview of markets and a presentation of the qualities and benefits of successful markets. Business planning and management will complete the classroom portion. In the afternoon, we will visit a local market to learn how they act as catalysts for community economic development and social interaction.

CP249 Green in Action — TOUR
For affordable housing practitioners who are ready to implement green and healthy housing methods and materials, here is an exciting one-day field-based experience you can't miss. After brief introductions in the classroom we will spend the day "on tour" visiting local outstanding sites that showcase green building in action. Tour sites highlight affordable housing, green economic development and cutting-edge materials and methods. Learn about specific successful approaches to greening affordable housing development from several angles. Understand a hierarchy of materials and methods to help you organize your green approach. Get an up-close look at uses of the latest materials and methods. This one-day session is designed for Rehab Specialists, Single Family Housing Developers, Project Managers and other nonprofit staff designing and managing green and healthy affordable housing. A box lunch will be provided.