Nat M. Zorach, Author at The Handbuilt City

August 10, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

Ford Loves New Mobility So Much, Their Exec Keeps Bragging About Driving His Truck To Buy A Cup Of Coffee.

A Ford executive went to town on urbanism this week, bragging about the great fuel economy in his car that most people can’t afford, which he drove to a coffee shop that most people can’t afford, and mocking the authors of both academic research and urbanist discourse on the question of automotive safety. It’s a really bad look for a company that is struggling to differentiate itself.

Business & Economics Urban Planning

August 3, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

Blueprint for Value: Why Companies Need City Planners on Their Payroll

Why more companies should be thinking about adding more diverse vocations to their talent base, and how this drives value creation.

abandoned ilitch building in cass corridor detroit owned by olympia development

Detroit Historic preservation Real Estate Urban Planning

August 2, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

The Ilitch Crusade Continues: When Is Enough Enough?

The latest Ilitch demolition has us all scratching our heads and wondering when we will deserve a better city– for buildings, for historic preservation, and, of course, for Detroiters.

Business & Economics Tech

August 1, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

World War X: Elon Musk, Twitter, and the Peculiar 24th Letter

Is it that big a deal to rename a multi-billion dollar brand? Most experts say yes. Why’s he doing it, then? It probably goes beyond a brief history of the use of the letter ‘x’ in brand development. But why not learn about this weird letter?

Detroit Government Heavy Industry Urban Planning

August 1, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

City of Detroit: “You’re good– if your last name is Moroun or Ilitch.”

A months-long saga to try and clean up a lot being used for long-term storage of inoperable vehicles finally gets a response from a persnickety FOIA coordinator, who points out that, well, we don’t care about the problems here, because it’s not a residential neighborhood.

Consumer Products Environment Policy

July 31, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

Vape eWaste Recycling: Showing The Business Math

The question I’ve gotten a lot in the process of planning this eWaste recycling program is, of course, “how much

Climate Public Health

July 27, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

Dogs & Climate Change: Minding The Safety Of Our Fur Children

I bark, you bark, we all bark for dog parks– and other places canines and humans alike can go to stay cool, even on the hottest days. Other tips for keeping our furry friends happy in extreme heat.

Consumer Products Environment Policy

July 26, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

Vape Recycling: Handbuilt Lobbies State Senators To Regulate eWaste

Michiganders throw out hundreds of thousands of vapes each year, if not more. This is an environmental disaster, but one we can mitigate with better eWaste recycling.

streetmix brush street traffic calming and renovation plan

Cycling Parking Urban Planning

July 25, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

What If Every Street Project Required Rightsizing And Traffic Calming?

Detroit’s Department of Public Works spends a lot of time repaving streets. It doesn’t spend much time thinking about what might make those streets safer.

research graph on energy burden presentation by destenie nock shuchen cong

Energy Efficiency Utilities

July 24, 2023 Nat M. Zorach

Energy Burden: The Elephant in the Electrification Room

Dr. Destenie Nock and Shuchen Cong presented from Carnegie Mellon University on a new approach they are taking to assess energy burden in communities around the United States. It is important analysis that will help inform how public service commissions develop better energy efficiency policy for utilities, and how utilities assess the needs of their most vulnerable customers.