So I have a degree in Urban Planning, and I love working with or for cities in almost any capacity.  Prior to Challenge Detroit, I worked for some small nonprofit in SW Detroit.  At Urban Neighborhood Initiates I coordinated a youth bike program.  Twice a week, neighborhood kids between ages 8 and 13 came to learn how to properly maintain and repair their bike.  Although I was not master planning, GISing (yes, I just verbed that), or thinking about smart growth techniques, I was involved in making that neighborhood of Detroit a better place to live.  This work, in my opinion, is just as important in the urban planning world, as thinking about how bus stops can be better placed.  My overall mission as an urban planner is to make Detroit (any area) a better place to live.

Now we return to present day.  Currently, through Challenge Detroit, I work for a financial software company named Billhighway.  I love working for them, but I don’t do much city planning. Instead, I decided to bring Detroit to the office.  I created the D-Blast, which highlights a small portion of events that I find interesting into a weekly newsletter that I send to everyone in my office.  We have a small office, but I know people enjoy reading it and some attend the events.  My goal is to break down barriers by showcasing all the awesome events that are going on in the city.  I have been doing this since early October and I find it’s becoming a refreshing email compared to all the other work emails everyone receives.

Below is the most recent edition.  I plan to post these every Wednesday, when I send them out at Billhighway.  I hope you enjoy and I encourage you to participate with me, either by sending me event ideas or creating your own and sharing it with your network.

Enjoy.

D_Blast 1.9_1.16 (Click here for the interactive version)