U-M brings a new perspective to real estate development with an online course focused on helping residents invest in their own communities
Growing up in Detroit, University of Michigan alum Chase Cantrell saw from a young age what could happen to a community that does not have the resources needed to grow and thrive.
Cantrell, executive director of Building Community Value and an urban planning lecturer at U-M’s Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, worked as a real estate and corporate lawyer, where he played a part in many development projects in Detroit. It opened his eyes to who had a seat at the table and the ways in which community values are often ignored.
Frustrated that community members were so often lacking a voice, Cantrell decided to put his energy behind delivering real estate development education to people who frequently feel excluded from the conversation.
“Including community voices is a form of power,” he said.
When community members …