Sign Up and Get Sticky at the Speaker Series at the Green Garage May 14

The Dequindre Cut opens Thursday, May 14, and so Model D is talking Detroit Bikes and Trails at its speaker series that evening. The free event is at 5 p.m. at the Green Garage in Midtown. Sign up here.

We are also teaming up with the Great Lakes Urban Exchange — or those sticky G.L.U.E. folks — plus Bureau of Urban Living, Inside Detroit and Motor City Brewing Works for the afterglow. Read on for more info.

First: The speakers
Todd Scott of the Michigan Trails Greenways Alliance will discuss the Detroit Greenways Network’s vision for the city, including linking all the greenways and all the cool new construction projects, like the Dequindre Cut. Bil Lusa of the Tour De Troit will talk about biking the city, as well as the annual September event, which has grown into a leisurely paced biking phenomenon — with more than 1,000 riders participating last year.

Second: The partners and afterglow
G.L.U.E. is a regional forum for people to exchange stories, ideas, and best practices in former industrial cities — from Detroit to Buffalo to St. Louis to Minneapolis. After the Model D speaker series, G.L.U.E. will host a kick-off party for its “I Will Stay If …” campaign, from 7-10 p.m. The campaign asks participants to complete that statement and have their photos taken to be posted on the web. The sum of the pics will make a collective statement about what’s needed to make the region “stickier,” i.e. keep people here. Check in will be at the Bureau of Urban Living, with drinks at Motor City Brewing Works and something fun from Inside Detroit. Cost for the G.L.U.E. event is a $5 minimum donation to the organization.

Third: The location
What’s the Green Garage in Midtown? A better question is: What will it be? The space at 4444 Second Ave. is right around the corner from Motor City Brewing Works. The spin-off project of Great Lakes Green Initiative calls itself a “‘Silicon Valley garage’ focused on building world class skills for the ‘green collar’ jobs and sustainability-based service and product businesses of the future.” We call it cool. The 1920’s building was a showroom for Model T-based automobiles, and the Green Garage folks are giving a completely green new life. Come explore the project — still very raw and new, mind you — and see their plans for the building rehab and the next door Green Alley.

Fourth: Sign up
As always space is limited so sign up in advance by clicking here. Sign in is at 5 p.m., presentations start at 5:30 p.m. and will last about an hour. Networking and a reception to follow.

The Model D speaker series is sponsored by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. For more info, contact Model D here.