In today’s The State News, my friend and colleague Kyle Campbell wrote a great a column on what the future success of Detroit means to the entire state of Michigan.

We heard several times over from the campaign trail, from now Governor-elect Rick Snyder, about how he believed the state would be successful going forward only if Detroit shared a stake in that success. For a gubernatorial candidate, let alone one running as a Republican, to give so much attention to the city of Detroit was unprecedented and definitely caught my attention.

Campbell goes on to address the issue of urban sprawl, an issue that has no doubt been discussed many times over. But it’s worth mentioning again simply due to the sheer magnitude of the problem because, quite frankly, if we can’t get urban sprawl under control and get people relocating back into the city, I don’t see Detroit regaining a solid foothold.

Although it now boasts a bevy of problems — unemployment, failing schools, crime — all these issues stem from the same common trend: unbridled urban sprawl.

If Snyder truly wants to fix Michigan, he must reverse that trend.

The column is a well-written and thoughtful look at some of the major issues facing the city. You can read the entire column here.