Retaining and attracting young professionals is a key component of Michigan Future's New Agenda for building a high prosperity Michigan.

This report was done for Michigan Future by a team of University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, MBA students. Its focus is on defining in some detail the characteristics of urban neighborhoods where young professionals are concentrating.

Drawing heavily on an in depth study of four Chicago neighborhoods where young professionals are concentrated the report details the kind of residential and commercial density characteristic of these neighborhoods. As well as offering insights into the kind of housing Millennial Knowledge Workers (MKWs) are looking for. The report then offers recommendations on what Detroit needs to do to create similar neighborhoods.

The Appendices include transcripts of focus groups and one on one interviews with students at U of M and Wayne State. They provide additional insight on what MKWs are looking for when they choose where to live after college and how they view Detroit as a potential place to live and work.

Encouraging the Revitalization of Downtown Detroit: Attracting the Millennial Knowledge Worker

The Michigan economy has been dreadful this decade, having suffered through seven consecutive years of job losses. As a result, the state is at the bottom of the national rankings in both employment and per capita income, and at the top of rankings in the percentage of the population living in poverty. This is largely because the engine that drives the Michigan economy is the
troubled domestic auto industry.
(full report)

Appendices