Project Archive

Practicum Projects

For many years, the Urban & Regional Planning Practicum has partnered with communities across Michigan to address real planning challenges through applied research, community engagement, analysis, and collaborative problem-solving. Each project reflects a unique partnership among students, faculty, and community organizations and responds to locally identified needs and priorities.

The resulting plans and reports document a broad range of planning issues and approaches while providing community partners with research, strategies, and recommendations that can inform future planning, policy development, funding opportunities, and local decision-making.

Interested in partnering with the Planning Practicum?
Propose a Project → Applications are available as PDFs or MS Word Documents.
Email completed applications to Jesus J. Lara, Ph.D. at: jjlara@msu.edu 
Proposal Deadline: December 1, 2026

Areas of Practicum Work

MSU Urban & Regional Planning students have worked with communities on projects including:

  • Neighborhood plans and community development strategies
  • Corridor and commercial district studies
  • Downtown revitalization plans
  • Transportation, mobility, and complete streets initiatives
  • Housing needs assessments and neighborhood stabilization strategies
  • Parks, recreation, and public-space planning
  • Redevelopment and adaptive reuse concepts
  • Zoning and land-use policy research
  • Climate resilience and environmental planning
  • Economic development and implementation strategies

Explore Previous Projects

We invite you to explore the Project Archive to learn more about previous Practicum partnerships and the planning challenges they have addressed. Together, these projects illustrate the breadth of the Practicum’s community-engaged work and its continuing commitment to connecting student learning with planning practice in communities across Michigan.

2026 Featured Projects

  • Grand Rapids: Bus Stop Shade & Climate Resilience Assessment

    Published on September 21, 2026
    This project was conducted in partnership with the Office of Sustainability at the City of Grand Rapids to address the condition of bus stops in priority locations referred to as Neighborhoods of Focus (NOFs).

  • Flint: Martin Park Neighborhood Revitalization Plan

    Published on September 21, 2026
    This project was developed in partnership with the City of Flint, Martin Park residents, local businesses, and The Oatmeal Club to address long-term disinvestment in the Martin Park neighborhood.

  • East Lansing: East Village Concept Plan

    Published on September 21, 2026
    This project was conducted in partnership with the City of East Lansing to evaluate existing conditions and develop actionable strategies for transforming East Village into a more livable and vibrant district.

Search Our Archive

  • Sterling Heights Van Dyke Corridor Plan

    Published on August 8, 2025
    This transformation plan provides a data-driven, community-informed roadmap for converting the corridor into a vibrant, accessible, and economically resilient mixed-use destination.

  • Warren Van Dyke Corridor Plan

    Published on August 8, 2025
    The goal of this plan is to strategically promote community-driven local economic development that helps increase livability, improve walkability, and provide equity-driven solutions for attracting development.

  • Sign Ordinance Compliance, Zoning, and Research for Delhi and Watertown Townships

    Published on August 8, 2025
    Sign Ordinance Compliance, Zoning, and Research is a student-led project responsible for examining and enhancing the sign regulations within the Zoning Ordinances of Delhi Charter Township and Watertown Charter Township.

  • City of Beaverton Public Parking Study

    Published on August 8, 2025
    The City of Beaverton applied to host a practicum project because of a need to reevaluate the use, occupancy, and value of the public parking available within its Central Business District.

  • Lansing Riverfront Activation Project

    Published on August 8, 2025
    The Lansing Riverfront Activation Project is an implementation-focused plan developed by the MSU Urban and Regional Planning Practicum Team in partnership with the Lansing Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

  • East Lansing Student Engagement

    Published on June 12, 2024
    The City of East Lansing is interested in student input for its 2024 East Lansing Comprehensive Plan Update.

  • Downtown Utica Sub-Area Plan

    Published on June 12, 2024
    This report focuses on ways to revitalize Utica’s downtown to improve connectivity, streetscape, and downtown form.

  • St. Johns Gateway Improvement Plan Executive Summary

    Published on June 12, 2024
    The goals of this project aim to introduce strategies focusing on land repurposing and economic development on the project site to improve the St. Johns community.

  • Morningside Housing Revitalization Strategy

    Published on June 12, 2024
    Organizations in the community of Morningside - a neighborhood located on the eastside of Detroit, MI - who work to improve housing conditions and increase homeowner education are seeking further research to assess community housing needs.

  • Ladybug Sustainable Community

    Published on June 12, 2024
    The Ladybug Sustainable Community project in Lansing, Michigan, is a pioneering initiative aimed at creating an inclusive, environmentally sensitive urban agri-community.