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When the City of Southfield earned the title, “Top City in the U.S. for Black Women to Flourish Financially,” for the second year by MoneyGeek.com, Sherry Swift and Tina Catron weren’t surprised.

The two Black businesswomen chose to locate Swift Transitions Coaching, Consultation and Training in Southfield eight years ago and are happy they did. The company has since grown to include The Swift Collaboration and Swift Transactions Management, also located in Southfield.

“Southfield has always been an extremely diverse community,” says Swift. “If there’s an area that would be most available for success for African American women, it could be easily Southfield because of the diversity here.”

Southfield Mayor Kenson J. Siver is proud of the recognition. “We are thrilled once again to have the distinction of Southfield being the top city in the U.S. for Black women to flourish financially,” he says. “We support our minority-owned businesses through our involvement with the Southfield Chamber of Commerce, job fairs and our Business Accelerator co-sponsored by Lawrence Technological University, among other initiatives. It should come as no surprise that a number of city departments are led by Black women,” Siver adds.

To determine the best places for Black women to flourish, MoneyGeek looked at 164 cities with populations greater than 65,000 — from the best to the worst. The ranking includes analysis of income, poverty rate, home ownership, educational attainment and health insurance gaps between Black women and the entire population nationally and locally.

Catron notes another important advantage she and Swift have realized with their business location. “Southfield is a great spot for our business because it’s close to downtown and to anywhere you want to maneuver within the state. This is where a lot of businesses intentionally land because no matter where you’re coming from, it’s central to everything.”

As Swift and Catron focus on growing their business, which currently includes a real estate brokerage arm as well as training, coaching and consulting services, their plan is to “100 percent” remain in Southfield.

“It’s easy for people to find us and we can access all of the tools and resources located here,” says Swift.

Warm Winter Fest 2024

Adults and children enjoyed a warmer-than-normal Winter Fest Sunday, March 3, at the Southfield Sports Arena. With temperatures hovering near 60 degrees, the event drew a crowd of more than 300 for a variety of activities, including indoor ice skating, a high ropes course, a rock-climbing wall with bouncers, carriage rides, electric car rides, marshmallow roasting and nature programs sponsored by Oakland County Naturalists.

Happy Hour and Team Trivia

The Southfield City Centre Happy Hour and Team Trivia Networking event on March 14 drew a sellout crowd of participants from many Southfield-based organizations. The group gathered at Towne Square Food & Spirits from for the chance to show their brain power and network.

“Our area businesses have found that joining us for this event has been a win-win,” says Rochelle Freeman, director of Business & Economic Development for the City of Southfield. “Their employees have an opportunity to bond and build relationships outside of their work environment, and to mix with other companies to develop potential new leads and professional connections.”

With spring in the air and warm weather on the horizon, now’s the perfect time to look in to the many outdoor activities Southfield City Centre has to offer. Whether you’re a resident, employee or visitor, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Get moving on the Southfield City Centre Trail with a walk, jog or bike ride during lunchtime or after work. The trail features nearly 9 miles of non-motorized pathways, including a 3.5-mile “Inner Loop” where you’ll find several outdoor art installations. The Monarch Butterfly Pollinator Garden, Tapestry of a Community and Red Pole Park are just a few.

“We want to make our city more pedestrian friendly and encourage people to engage in heart-healthy activities like biking and walking,” says Terry Croad, AICP, ASLA and director of planning for the City of Southfield. “It’s a great way to enhance your overall health, reduce stress and enjoy nature.”

A Bike Share program (with 9 convenient locations]) makes it easy to ride the trail. For a 3.5 guided tour of 26 public works of art and cultural sites along the trail, download the PocketSights app to your mobile device and search “Southfield, Michigan.”

Get out on the green. If you’re a golfer, don’t miss your chance to tee off at the Evergreen Hills Golf Course, located at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road, this 9-hole, par 34, 2,954-yard public course features beautifully landscaped grounds and manicured fairways. The course is scheduled to open April 1, weather permitting (check Southfield Parks and Recreation Facebook page).

Grab lunch at one of your favorite Southfield restaurants, find an open bench along Evergreen or Civic Center Drive and enjoy the great outdoors.

For the athlete in you, the Southfield Municipal Campus is home to baseball diamonds, soccer fields and every type of court imaginable, including volleyball, tennis, pickleball, basketball and racquetball.

Eat to the Beat is your chance to take a break in the middle of the day. This Southfield City Centre annual summertime lunchtime food truck and entertainment event offers delicious eats and some of the best live bands in metro Detroit. It all happens the second Thursday, June through September, at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road.

When German automaker BMW requested a distinctive rear taillight for an upcoming model, Marelli — a leading mobility technology supplier to the automotive sector — rose to the occasion. As a bonus, the company received global recognition for the innovative lighting technology used in the creation.

With its Customer Experience Center located in Southfield, Michigan, Marelli was named a Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2024 Innovation Award Honoree for its LASER & Optical Fiber Rear Lamp technology.

According to Michele Antonipieri, chief engineer behind the innovative technology, Marelli is the first lighting manufacturer to develop and bring to market red LASER technology combined with rear lighting functionality to create a distinctive look.

“The uniqueness of this innovation compared to the use of classical solutions is the reduced thickness of the optical system, which allows for a thin illuminated flexible line that can be integrated inside the taillight,” says Antonipieri. “The LASER technology enables a speckle effect all along the fibers, creating a distinguishing three-dimensional appearance never before seen in a rear lamp.”

“It’s really amazing when you see it live,” says Yannick Bamberg, Marelli product manager of rear lighting. “It has the appearance of fluid floating through a very thin line.”

“Before we stepped into the game, there was no red LASER fiber used in automotive exterior lighting applications. This was developed from scratch,” says Antonipieri.

“There are a lot of OEMs who are highly interested in this technology,” he says, adding, “They’re looking for solutions to characterize their brand during the night, so you can immediately identify a particular car model. This technology allows the shape of the rear light to be modified by placing the fiber in a different way to create a signature look. It will give OEMs the flexibility to create equally unique and stylish brand signatures in the future.”

To learn more, visit: www.ces.tech

Nine students from Southeast Michigan, Chicago and Brooklyn, New York, registered for “Placemaking through Landscape Design” a week-long summer camp organized by Lawrence Technological University, the Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, the City of Southfield and Southfield City Centre. The camp, which began July 17, aims to introduce BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and underserved students to landscape architecture and encourage them to consider the field as a career choice, says Terry Croad, AICP, ASLA and director of planning for the City of Southfield. “We also expose students to the various professions in which landscape architects work, such as the private, public and non-profit sectors as well as education and research,”

Students, working in teams, were tasked with designing a teen park at Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve off 10 Mile Road in Southfield. They learned how to identify the site’s opportunities and constraints, develop a schematic design to illustrate their concept or “big idea,” and create the design-development plan necessary for construction. On the afternoon of the last day, each team presented a site plan to a jury of professionals and their camp mates. Safety features, enhanced streams and ponds, accessibility for visitors with disabilities, multi-purpose sports areas and playgrounds, use of murals to provide noise reduction and local public art, solar panels to cover parking areas and generate electricity – these were some of the components of the teams’ design plans. A jury of professionals asked follow-up questions and noted novel attributes. “That is a charming design for birdwatching,” commented Joane Slusky, PLA, ASLA, ASID, a landscape architect and jury member.

This was the second year the camp was offered. Each year, organizers make affordability a priority. The $100 registration fee is made possible, in part, by the many professionals who volunteer their time. In addition, the Michigan Chapter ASLA Foundation provides two Diversity, Equity and Inclusion scholarships of $2,500 each to BIPOC students studying landscape architecture at Michigan State University or the University of Michigan.  Aubrey Collins, a recent graduate of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, who plans to attend Purdue University, came to the camp already interested in pursuing a career in landscape architecture. “I wanted hands-on experience first,” he said.

Southfield is one of 12 locations across the state chosen to test a new solar-powered lighting system developed by APT Solar Solutions, an Ann Arbor-based start-up company. A 400-foot stretch of the City Centre Trail, southeast of Red Pole Park, is the proposed location for the high-powered illumination. Installation of the lighting system is expected this fall.

APT received a $120,000 grant from the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, an effort of the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification in partnership with Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Michigan Department of Transportation, to accelerate the growth of new modes of non-motorized transportation. Southfield was selected as a pilot site because of its 20-miles of non-motorized pathways.

The company says each solar-powered fixture generates 10-to-30 times more electricity per installation than standard solar panels, making it a clean, off-the-grid source of affordable, reliable electricity.

“This technology compliments the City’s placemaking strategies along current and future non-motorized pathways by enhancing safety measures and promoting sustainability,” says Terry Croad, AICP, ASLA and director of planning for the City of Southfield. “Ultimately, the solar lighting fixtures will make it possible to construct additional pathway segments in locations that are thought to be a deterrent to pedestrians, such as under freeway overpasses, heavily wooded parks, or other routes with limited illumination.”

APT is installing 100 lighting fixtures at locations in the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. The company will measure how well the solar-powered fixtures improve safety and increase access for mobility-impaired individuals. Data gathered at the various sites will help determine the market-readiness of the product and the shape of its final design.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II announced the APT Solar Solutions grant in May, along with three others. The Michigan Mobility Funding Platform has awarded $3.9 million to date to companies for mobility testing.

“The City of Southfield has been continuously striving for better non-motorized connectivity not only to provide alternative modes of transportation, but also to promote health and wellness within the community,” says Souzan Hanna, ENV SP, LEED AP and sustainability planner for the City of Southfield.

To learn more about Southfield’s sustainability efforts, visit the Sustainable Southfield website.