Over the course of the 21 years Thomas Markus has served as city manager for Birmingham, he has fostered the transformation of the city’s downtown through the development and implementation of Downtown Birmingham 2016, an urban design plan created to make the city more pedestrian and business friendly.

Markus recognized the potential threats to Birmingham’s core downtown area when a new 1.5 million square foot upscale indoor mall was constructed. As a result, he lead initiatives that led to updates of the zoning regulations and streetscape standards in the commercial corridor, development of a beautification program throughout the commercial district, and reconstruction of one of the major downtown roads to improve pedestrian safety. Those efforts resulted in a substantial investment and transformation in both public and private properties while preserving key elements of the city’s historic downtown.

Markus also led efforts to strengthen the city’s neighborhoods and commercial districts through aggressive infrastructure improvements and projects that added to the quality of life, including a number of new parks and the complete restoration of Quarton Lake. The renovation of Booth Park included a community-wide effort to construct a new playground area with more than $170,000 in private contributions. The newly renovated park received several state and national awards, including the Outstanding Site Design Award from the Michigan Parks & Recreation Association, and, in 2008, was named the Project of the Year (for projects less than $2 million) by the American Public Works Association. Other projects included upgrades to two nine-hole golf courses, construction of an inline-skating and skateboard park, and enhancements to natural trails along the Rouge River.

Through all of these projects, Markus has been a vocal advocate for seeking input from the community, both residential and business, through the use of community forums, charrettes (collaborative planning sessions with residents and other stakeholders), and input from 20 city advisory boards.

All of these efforts have made Birmingham one of the best places to live in the Detroit metropolitan area. Birmingham has received recognition as a “walkable community,” was named one of the top 25 cities by relocateamerica.com (2007), and was named by CNNMoney.com as one of the top 20 “Best places for a healthy retirement” (2009). The city was also recognized by the Michigan Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports as one of only communities in the state to earn the Gold Level designation of the Promoting Active Community Award in 2009.