Specters of Lansing

A short documentary produced by graduate students in Michigan State University’s American Studies Program. Blending archival research with on-the-street interviews, it charts Old Town in north Lansing from its 19th-century lumber-mill origins through post-industrial decline to the arts-driven renaissance that began in the late 1970s. Artists, business owners, and long-time residents offer candid reflections on how a once-boarded-up district reinvented itself—and at what cost. Sidestepping tidy tales of gentrification, the film uncovers a far more intricate story of community resilience, cultural identity, and the “specters” of history that still shape North Lansing today.