Planet Detroit: Climate Solutions and Service Journalism

Riverfront Towers high-rise has "unsafe temperatures for tenants living in the building," city inspector says in blight ticket issued Tuesday during heat wave.

Detroit's newly appointed health director Ali Abazeed is taking on the city's most pressing health challenges — from childhood asthma to climate disasters — with a Health in All Policies approach that puts equity at the center of city decision-making.

A Detroit oil recycling facility that caught fire in 2025 is seeking city and state approval to reopen and expand, despite a 13-year history of odor complaints and air quality violations that have affected nearby residents.

Detroit City Council approves a hotly debated $130-million pump station project in Jefferson Chalmers, which received a flood zone designation after devastating 2021 basement backups. The project includes $5 million in community improvements, but some residents question whether it will prevent future flooding.

Frequent heavy rainfall in Southeast Michigan over the last decade has raised awareness of indoor mold among homeowners and renters. As water recedes after a flood, mold can develop within as little as 48 hours.

Ethan Bakuli reported this story while participating in USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication and Center for Health Journalism 2025 Health and Climate Change Reporting Fellowship as well as a Solutions Journalism Network accelerator program for coverage of the health impacts of seasonal climate issues in Metro Detroit. In the waning days of

Advocates call for policy changes after a recent pair of pilot Detroit composting projects, one led by the city’s sustainability office, and the other by local food and environmental justice organizations.

A guide to help Detroit homeowners and renters protect their homes from flooding, including emergency alerts, damage claims, and safety tips.

As data center proposals spread across Michigan, residents on Detroit's east side are organizing to slow development or minimize harm to neighborhoods already overburdened with industry.

Tracking “trucking hot spots” helps community advocates and city officials “determine what future truck routes in Detroit might look like,” says Eastside Community Network's Marie Garcia.