Placemaking MML

June 27, 2017

New Report Chronicles a Decade of League Placemaking Efforts

Download report By Shanna Draheim, Director, Policy Development As someone who has spent my career in public policy, and who must routinely explain what I do for a living, even to my family, I often envy the doctors and teachers…

May 26, 2017

Strong Towns Event in Traverse City June 7

This spring, in a proud moment for the whole state of Michigan, Traverse City won the March Madness-style tournament to be crowned the Strongest Town in North America. As part of their reward, Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns will be…

May 17, 2017

Lessons from the Harvard Innovations in American Government Awards

I've been privileged this week to attend the finalist presentations for the Innovations in American Government, part of a team from Michigan representing the Public Spaces, Community Places program. It's inspirational to meet and learn public sector leaders from around…

May 16, 2017

Innovation in Government? Yes, Where Else?

I've had numerous conversations with colleagues, friends, family and neighbors about my upcoming visit to Boston. The curious ones ask, what's your work event? When I tell them, proudly, the Harvard Innovations in American Government awards, the nearly inevitable response…

May 5, 2017

CNU focuses on equitable placemaking

"As local municipalities, we should have the goal that every one of our residents succeeds," declared Tukwila City Councilmember D'Sean Quinn during the opening public lecture of CNU25. This year's 25th Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) in Seattle has…

May 3, 2017

Michigan recognized for crowdfunding innovation

Yesterday, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, made an exciting announcement for those of us supporting crowdfunding and placemaking in Michigan: the Public Spaces, Community Places program is…

April 14, 2017

Hometown Summit: Open Data and Civic Engagement Resources

The Hometown Summit is showcasing a number of fairly new initiatives focused on helping city leaders improve their approach to community engagement, especially through technology and an embrace of open data. A few stand out to me thus far, please…

April 14, 2017

Matchmaking to make great places happen

Earlier this week, the city of Ypsilanti released an RFQ seeking developers for one of the sites they identified as a priority through the Redevelopment Ready Communities process. The League created the RFQ document with the support of Beckett &…

April 13, 2017

Hometown Summit: Universities & Other Research Institutions as Economic Drivers

Several presentations at the Hometown Summit have featured the positive role that universities and colleges and other types of research institutions, such as non-profit think tanks, can play in helping their host community develop and grow. Erie, PA, for example,…

April 13, 2017

Hometown Summit: Talent Attraction Lessons from Entrepreneurs

I have the privilege this week of attending the Hometown Summit, a new national conference focused on sharing lessons and best practices from small and mid-sized cities. The organizers describe it as a "convening and celebration of leaders in small…