Yes, we’re talking about Ford the automaker, and a massive mixed-use, multimodal development project centered around a train station.
Many automakers have been dabbling in micromobility and autonomous vehicles as they try to prepare for the transport transformations of the 21st century rather than crumble underneath them. But a 30-acre walkable community centered around a train station is something else.
Naturally, Ford is working with others on this project, but it is the project lead. It puts the Michigan Central Station at its core. Renovation of Michigan Central Station is a years-long project, but one that must be exciting and breathing new life into people in the area, as the station has been closed since 1988! Michigan Central will also be a hub for innovation and a new economy. Around 5,000 people are expected to work in the district. “Ford will transform a set of abandoned elevated railroad tracks into a mobility platform – an open, versatile landscape where Ford and its innovation partners can test and showcase emerging technology, including autonomous vehicles and micro-mobility initiatives. It will also provide shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists and gathering spaces for the community, reconfigurable for a variety of […]
There’s a kind of poetry to this – that it’s happening in Detroit! Am also remembering William McDonough’s book Cradle to Grave by Braungart and McDonough and their more recent Cradle to Cradle on how we make things. McDonough was working for Ford when the book first came out. Bravo! Thanks for posting about a powerful new vision for the future.