A2: Transit

On the getDowntown blog, Nancy Shore relays some insights from Megan Gibb, a former Ypsilanti city planner who now works for the city of Portland, Ore. Gibb “uses the example of Portland, who as early as the 70’s began taking bold moves to invest in public transit, couple land use planning with transit development, and create public-private partnerships to turn blighted areas into livable communities.  The result? Billions of dollars in cost savings and investment. In addition, the Portland region has attracted young, college educated professionals at 5 times the national rate.” [Source]