Regional Cooperation

Classroom Projects

Classroom projects stimulate innovation in cities without burdening their limited staffs by providing a task-oriented, focused group of students under the supervision of a professor. The Suburbs Alliance has sponsored two such projects. In the spring of 2004, groups of graduate students led by Professor Igor Vojnovic at Michigan State University provided redevelopment recommendations to the City of River Rouge in an effort to revitalize an area of the city. This fall, graduate students at Wayne State University made recommendations addressing challenges in some of southeast Michigan's most unique communities - Hamtramck, Monroe, and Hazel Park - as part of Associate Professor Gary Sand's class on the implementation of local economic development financing. Their work helped these cities to formulate economic development strategies to overcome their challenges.

We are now planning classroom projects for the fall 2006 semester. If your city is in need of some extra help and inspiration, here's an opportunity: Wayne State Associate Professor Gary Sands will be leading a classroom project for his course on financing and implementing local economic development. The project will require students to create strategic economic development plans for cities or specific areas. Contact us if you're interested in hosting a project and act quickly because there are a limited number of students!