Joshua Akers was previously an assistant professor of geography and urban and regional studies at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. His research and writing examines the intersection of markets and policy and their material impacts on urban neighborhoods and everyday life. He is the founder and director of the Urban Praxis Workshop, a community-led research initiative that collaborates with organizations and activists in Detroit focused on housing and tenancy issues. Part of this work is found at www.propertypraxis.org.