The Common Wealth

How can community land trusts advance land justice, expand affordable housing, and give communities a greater voice in shaping their futures?In this episode of The Common Wealth, host Dana Thompson talks with Angeline Lawrence, an urban planner, business strategist, and community wealth-building practitioner, about community land trusts and their potential to strengthen communities in Detroit, in the state of Michigan, and across the country.Angeline discusses her personal connection to Detroit’s foreclosure crisis and her documentary, No Place Like Home: A Detroit Story of Loss, Learning, and Land Justice. Their conversation explores the connection between CLTs and land justice, the experiences of people living in community land trusts, and the opportunities and challenges involved in expanding community ownership and affordable housing.Listen to a compelling conversation about land, housing, community ownership, and the role residents can play in shaping the future of their communities.

How can community land trusts help neighborhoods create affordable housing, preserve community assets, and shape their own development? In this episode of The Common Wealth, host Dana Thompson talks with community developer Tricia Talley about her path into community development and her work in Detroit’s North Corktown neighborhood. Tricia shares how her commitment to community-driven development led to her work creating an open space community land trust through the North Corktown Neighborhood Association and, more recently, the North Corktown Housing Community Land Trust, which is creating opportunities for affordable homeownership while preserving affordability for future buyers. Their conversation explores how community land trusts work, why community control of land matters, and how CLTs can be used as a tool to address affordable housing, neighborhood change, and long-term community development in Detroit and beyond. Listen to a conversation about what it takes to move from an idea about community ownership to the practical work of creating institutions that give residents a meaningful role in shaping the future of their neighborhoods.    

Community development organizations play a vital role in advancing renewable energy projects that promote environmental sustainability, reduce energy costs, create economic opportunity, and strengthen local communities. In this episode, host, attorney, and University of Michigan law professor Dana Thompson speaks with Dr. Tony Reames, Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. Dr. Reames is a former Presidential appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration, where he held several senior leadership roles within the U.S. Department of Energy focused on energy justice and community-based clean energy initiatives. She is also joined by Mary Braun, Green Projects Director at the North End Woodward Community Coalition (NEWCC), a Detroit-based social justice and community development organization dedicated to equitable systems change, community ownership, and neighborhood wealth building. Together, they discuss how community development organizations are leveraging renewable energy projects to advance climate and energy justice, expand economic opportunity, and ensure that communities share in the benefits of the clean energy transition. Using Detroit as an example, they explore lessons that can help communities across the country develop more equitable and sustainable approaches to renewable energy. This conversation offers valuable insights for nonprofit leaders, community developers, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of renewable energy, equity, and community impact.

This is Season 2 of The Common Wealth and the podcast looks and sounds a little different.  What remains consistent is that Dana Thompson, University of Michigan law professor and community development leader, sits down with community leaders, from grassroots organizers to government officials in metro Detroit and beyond for thoughtful, dynamic conversations. The podcast examines the projects and policies shaping urban communities and asks a critical question: can these tools truly create systemic, lasting change? This season, The Common Wealth takes a closer look at energy policy at both the national and local level speaking with the people behind community solar initiatives that are helping residents lower their energy costs.  Dana also interviews two metro Detroiters working to preserve livable neighborhoods through community land trusts. And the podcast explores the role of arts and community expression as forces for empowerment and collective strength. We hope these inspiring, informative conversations expand your perspective about the capacity of the individual to impact their community.  Enjoy Season 2!

What does it really take to build thriving, equitable communities?In this episode, we dive into the world of community economic development (CED)—what it is, how it’s evolved in the U.S., and whether market-based and other policies are actually making a difference. From federal policy to grassroots activities, we unpack how CED shapes real lives and neighborhoods.Joining us is Professor Priya Baskaran, Associate Professor of Law at American University’s Washington College of Law and director of the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic. With deep experience providing free legal support to small businesses and entrepreneurs, Professor Baskaran brings a unique, hands-on perspective to what CED looks like in practice—and why it matters now more than ever.Whether you're curious about policy, passionate about social change, or working to make a difference in your own community, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.Professor Priya Baskaran’s American University WCL Faculty page - https://www.american.edu/wcl/faculty/baskaran.cfmAmerican University WCL Entrepreneurship Law Clinic - https://www.american.edu/wcl/academics/experientialedu/clinical/theclinics/elc/Professor Dana Thompson’s University of Michigan Law School Faculty page - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/dana-thompsonUniversity of Michigan Law School Community Enterprise Clinic - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/community-enterprise-clinic-0

 In this episode of The Common Wealth, we dive into the complex and far-reaching impact of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project on Southwest Detroit. From promises of revitalization to concerns about displacement, our conversation explores both the benefits and the burdens this massive infrastructure project has brought to the community. We’re joined by three deeply knowledgeable and passionate guests: Theresa Landrum, longtime Delray resident and environmental activist, Laura Chavez-Wazeerud-Din, Former President and CEO of the Southwest Detroit Business Association, and Simone Sagovac, Project Director of the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition. Together, they unpack the meaning of “community benefits,” the Community Benefits Agreement tied to the bridge, and how area residents and small businesses—especially in the Delray neighborhood in Southwest Detroit—are navigating the economic fallout and opportunities that have come with this development. Tune in for a candid conversation about equity, resilience, and the real cost of progress.  Professor Dana Thompson's UM Law Faculty page - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/dana-thompsonProfessor Dana Thompson's LinkedIn page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-thompson-jd-aba10b22/University of Michigan Law School's Community Enterprise Clinic - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/community-enterprise-clinic-0Theresa Landrum - https://caphedetroit.sph.umich.edu/project/theresa-landrum/Simone Sagovac - https://www.detroiturc.org/southwest-detroit-community-benefits-coalitionLaura Chavez-Wazeerud-Din -https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-chavez-wazeerud-din-842b18191/Gordie Howe Bridge Community Benefits - https://swdetroitcbc.org/about-us/Gordie Howe Bridge - https://gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/

In this episode of The Common Wealth, University of Michigan Law Professor Dana Thompson is in conversation with community leader and activist Malik Yakini.  Malik Yakini is an urban farmer, guitarist, Black food sovereignty activist, institution builder, and a founder and former Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network (DBCFSN) organization.  The two discuss the meaning of Black food sovereignty, food security, food apartheid, food deserts, and cooperative economics. Dana Thompson also discusses with Mr. Yakini, the Detroit Food Commons project and the Detroit People’s Food Coop.  The Detroit Food Commons project is a $23 Million, 2 story, 31,000 square feet community development project spearheaded and co-developed by DBCFSN.  The project’s anchor tenant is the Detroit People’s Food Coop which is a Black-led, community-owned grocery store cooperative.  It also includes a banquet-hall rental space, commercial kitchens for rent to food entrepreneurs, and DBCFSN’s office space.  The project brings the Detroit People’s Food Coop grocery store to a neighborhood in Detroit that didn’t have a grocery store in its boundaries.  The University of Michigan Law School’s Community Enterprise Clinic provided the primary legal services to the project. Malik Yakini’s Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Pages -https://www.instagram.com/beblackandgreen/https://www.facebook.com/malik.yakini/https://www.linkedin.com/in/malik-yakini-313a4928Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network’s Website - https://www.dbcfsn.org/Detroit Food Commons’s Website - https://www.dbcfsn.org/detroitfoodcommonsDetroit People’s Food Coop’s Website - https://detroitpeoplesfoodcoop.com/Professor Dana Thompson's UM Law Faculty page - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/dana-thompsonProfessor Dana Thompson's LinkedIn page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-thompson-jd-aba10b22/

In the inaugural episode of the anticipated podcast on the nexus between higher education and community economic development, called The Common Wealth, University of Michigan Law Professor Dana Thompson invites University of Michigan Regent Mark Bernstein as her first guest.  The two discuss Bernstein's legal and professional career and the University of Michigan's impact on the City of Detroit as well as it's continued engagement with the state's largest city. Professor Thompson, who is the founding director of the Zell Entrepreneurship Clinic as well as the director of the Community Enterprise Clinic also discusses with Regent Bernstein the University of Michigan's Center for Innovation in Detroit, which is being billed as a world-class research, education, and entrepreneurship center designed to stimulate economic development in Michigan's urban core.Regent Mark Bernstein's Bio - https://regents.umich.edu/regents/mark-j-bernstein/Professor Dana Thompson's UM Law Faculty page - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/dana-thompsonProfessor Dana Thompson's LinkedIn page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-thompson-jd-aba10b22/University of Michigan Law School's Community Enterprise Clinic - https://michigan.law.umich.edu/academics/experiential-learning/clinics/community-enterprise-clinic-0