The Best Stories of 2009

As we stand on the threshold of a new decade, it's useful to glance back at the stories that defined 2009. New innovators, evolving technologies, and a respect for local food were all part of the year that was. Concentrate shone the light on enthusiastic young entrepreneurs, civic-minded Millennials and unsung longtime visionaries who have made the Ann Arbor area a hotbed of culture and creativity.

On the domestic front, downtown development was front and center as Ann Arbor struggled to balance the desires of the next generation against the preferences of the past. We examined what we might learn from similar and sister cities like Boulder, Charlottesville, and Tübingen, while digging deeper into local issues and trends, and examining the desires of twentysomethings - who are fleeing Michigan en masse.

We also spotlighted the region's transforming economy as start-ups found funding and support while remaining committed to staying put and local agencies retrained our best and brightest to evolve alongside emerging industries.

Concentrate takes you on a whirlwind tour of this year's stand out stories.


INNOVATION

Grafaktri: A2's Unseen Hand of Creativity

In WAP John we trust. From Zingerman's menus to U-M building names, the Grafaktri is Ann Arbor's best kept secret, a one-of-a-kind creative studio bursting at the seams with innovation.

Startups That Stay

In Ann Arbor a buyout doesn't always mean a sellout. Though innovative start-ups like Fry, Healthmedia, and T/J Technologies have been snapped up by larger out-of-state companies, they have decided to stay in the city that birthed them.

A Place Geeks Can Call Home

Sometimes you need more than just a SPARK. If Ann Arbor wants to compete on the national tech stage it needs to do a better job of developing its geek culture. Enter Tech Brewery and the Workantile Exchange, a pair of private, entrepreneurial hothouses. These two co-working spaces believe that united, techies stand, divided, they fall.

Middle Managers Learn To Shift Gears

Sometimes size does matter. Working for a large company like Visteon can be very different than taking a position at a start-up. As Ann Arbor's new economy seeds the ground with small tech firms, transitioning employees must adapt to changing job expectations. SPARK shows them the way.

Virtual Health, Real Success

Michigan could take a lesson from Healthmedia. From it's early struggles to find local investment to its recent purchase by Johnson & Johnson, the innovative software-as-service company has stayed committed to remaining in Ann Arbor.


DEVELOPMENT

Know Y: A Place For Us?

Kate Rose is part of a coveted demographic. An employee at Google and in her late 20s, she represents exactly what Ann Arbor needs more of. But is our community doing what it needs to keep her, and young talent like her, here? Concentrate went straight to the source for the answer. Each month Kate will chime in on what her generation is looking for when it comes to housing, cultural amenities, and work opportunities.

Density Talks: Ann Arbor Should Listen

As the debate over density rages in Ann Arbor, perhaps the city should consider looking to other similar university communities that have navigated the political twists and turns of urban renewal and found success on the other side.

Learning From Ann Arbor's Big Sister

Authentic German pretzels—and some ideas on high-density land use and sustainability to boot. Forget the symbolic cultural exchanges, there's much more Ann Arbor can learn from her sister city, Tübingen.

The De-Evolution Of Local Development

Ann Arbor touts itself as sustainable, progressive and anti-sprawl. And yet almost every proposed development meets heated opposition. The end result: Buildings that aren't as dense or green as they could be. Are uncooperative developers to blame? Or stuck in amber NIMBY neighborhoods? Can these warring factions make peace?

A2D2: Evolution Or Status Quo?

Faced with a stagnant and aging population, some Ann Arborites are looking for ways to attract more residents to downtown. Historically, developers and urbanists have had to battle with fractious city interests and, now, a proposed cap on building heights. Concentrate looks at whether A2D2 (Ann Arbor Discovering Downtown), the latest initiative to reform downtown's zoning and architectural guidelines, will increase density and create a 24/7 downtown or keep A2 the same as it ever was.

LEADERS & ENTREPRENEURS

MASTERMIND: Al McWilliams

Forget Nike, Al McWilliams is really the 'Just Do It' guy. From pro cyclist to all media mini emporer, the founder of Quack! Media has gotten his fingers into every nook and cranny of media content. Music, magazines, movies and marketing are his company's domains and he has no shortage of ideas and opinions about how to make them grow.

Young Guns On Board

Traditionally, non-profit boards were the domain of the... um... more mature. But organizations are discovering the advantages of attracting young professionals into leadership positions. Not only do they bring new ideas and energy, they also ensure the next generation of investment and support.

MASTERMIND: Aubrey Martinson

When political leaders talk about getting Millennials to invest in Michigan's future, they're talking about people like Aubrey Martinson. The 30-year-old executive director of the Chelsea Center for the Arts not only brings fresh ideas and perspective to her job, she's proof positive that keeping our young creative talent is not only good for the community, it's good for the bottom line.

MASTERMIND: Bee Mayhew

Bee Mayhew is out for world domination. But she's happy to start with some really great soup. In less than six months the 31 year-old owner of Beezy's Cafe in Ypsilanti has become an indelible downtown fixture, attracting fans at a breakneck pace and establishing the benchmark for how to build a locally-owned business.

FOOD

The Best Of B3 In A2

Instead of putting the spotlight on the usual fine dining subjects, Concentrate has decided to visit Ann Arbor's strangely popular bi bim bop scene; sampling, snarfing, and scoring the very best.

How To Be An Ann Arborvore

Want to go native but don't know how? Concentrate offers you an inside guide to eating and drinking local. It shrinks your carbon footprint, supports the local economy and tastes a heckuva lot better than produce from half way around the world. Come on, all the cool kids are going locavore.

The Original "Third Place" - Diners

New urbanists like to wax poetic about the importance of coffee houses and cafes as society's "third place," a urban destination for social interaction. Once upon a time these places were called diners. Concentrate takes you on a whirlwind tour of A2's and Ypsi's homiest.