Resources & Research

Partnership for Place from Michigan Municipal League on Vimeo. Watch the award-winning video. The Michigan Municipal League's animated Partnership for Place video shown at the start of 2014 Capital Conference received the highest award possible in the national 2014 Videographer Awards competition run by the Association of Marketing and Communication...

The Michigan Main Street Center recently published Ten Years of Excellence: The Economic Impacts of Main Street in Michigan. With more than 45 communities participating in the program, benefits have spread across the state. Michigan Main Street participant Boyne City is able to draw large crowds to their downtown for special...

As soon as we stepped out of the airport and onto the nearby platform for MAX Rail, my colleague Sarah Craft and I knew we weren't in Detroit anymore. For only $2.50, this clean, quick, quiet light rail system whisked us to downtown Portland, where we got off just a...

Strava's heat map of bike/walk activity in Midland shows the popularity of that city's recreational trails--but surprisingly little bike/walk access to the major employment center. Fitness tracking app Strava recently began offering its data-millions of walking, jogging, and cycling trips around the world-to cities and transportation agencies. For a price,...

When I think of Europe, I think of castles, fountains, sculptures, and people sitting at charming outdoor cafes on cobblestone streets sipping coffee or an aperitif. (What is an aperitif? I don't know--but it fits in with my image). One thing I never would have associated with Europe is lack...

Imagine a natural disaster knocking out your local power and telephone grids. A city in the Republic of Congo has planned ahead for that potential problem, with a system that combines solar-powered street lighting and internet access in a wireless configuration.