March 12, 2015
Sprawl, Sprawl, and More Sprawl
Sprawl - we know it when we see it. We all live with sprawl in some way or other, but do we ever stop to think how it impacts our lives? Or do we just go through the motions of…
Category Archives: Physical Design & Walkability
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February 12, 2015
Creating a Purposeful New Life for Old Suburban Sites
Dead regional malls, huge vacancies in strip malls, and empty office buildings have been accumulating in American suburbs in recent years. Much of this change can be attributed to suburban demographic shifts. Particularly since 2000, many babyboomers are now empty-nesters,…
January 7, 2015
Placemaking Happy Hour & Panel Discussion
Placemaker and CEO of Adelaide, Australia Peter Smith is coming to Michigan to speak at the Michigan Local Government Managers Association Winter Institute at the end of the month. Because he's traveling so far, we figured we better take advantage…
January 2, 2015
Great places in Grand Rapids’ urban neighborhoods
Great neighborhoods dedicate only the bare minimum amount of space to parking. Visiting family in Grand Rapids' Heritage Hill neighborhood over the holidays is always a great opportunity to dive into another city's urban form. Â (Or at least that's…
December 11, 2014
Year in Review: The Best Placemaking Reports of 2014
Placemaking is such a buzz word of 2014 - and that's a good thing! Placemaking awareness has been on the rise for the past few years, but themes, ideas, and policies are now more generally accepted and promoted. Placemaking is…
December 5, 2014
Small Businesses Support Michigan Communities & Local Economies
Small Business Saturday is growing momentum. This year, 88 million people across the country shopped locally on November 29, which is up nearly 15% from last year. The impact? $14.3 billion - not bad for some small businesses! And according…
November 25, 2014
West Michigan Attracts Talent during Holiday Season
A community's aesthetics and outdoor amenities have a large impact on talent attraction and retention. Michigan has higher learning institutions that attract students from around the world. College towns' population surges during the school year, but communities struggle to keep…
October 29, 2014
Finding the Future of Places in Buenos Aires
During the first week of September, I had the privilege of attending an international conference in Buenos Aires that focused on streets as public spaces and how they can drive urban prosperity. This is the second of a series of three…
October 15, 2014
League Member Communities Attending Convention in Marquette Share Placemaking Success Stories
Placemaking images from Marquette - the site of the League's 2014 Convention. Each year, the Michigan Municipal League Board president gives a welcome speech to kick-off our Convention. League President Jacqueline Noonan, Utica mayor, put her own unique spin on…
September 15, 2014
Farmers Markets Helping Revitalize Michigan Communities While Promoting Healthy Living
Check out hundreds of photos in this collection on flickr by the Michigan Municipal League. The 300-plus farmers markets that exist in Michigan come in all shapes and sizes. They're in large urban centers and tiny villages. They pop up in parking…