About Us

Urban Collaborators Background

Urban Collaborators is an inter-disciplinary effort supported by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE), the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Social Science, the School of Planning, Design, and Construction, the Provost, and Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station. It is administered through the Urban and Regional Planning Program, which provides graduate and undergraduate degrees in Urban Planning, and is part of the School of Planning, Design and Construction. The Urban Collaborators Resource Team is the operating committee for Urban Collaborators. Its membership includes University faculty and staff involved in urban research, outreach, and education.

Our Goals

To help revitalize Michigan's urban cities, Urban Collaborators links research, outreach, and learning in key Michigan cities by:

• Implementing several key initiatives that enhance linkage of research and outreach resources of the University with the community development needs of seven target cities: Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Pontiac, and Saginaw.

• Providing substantive support for MSU Extension Educators, Community and Economic Development.

• Contribute to and learn from community development assignments in urban communities.

• Engaging communities and scholars in ways that translate into new knowledge.

• Building capacity of local organizations to address urban issues.