Placemaking MML

May 23, 2013

Transforming Woodward Avenue

First, a brief history lesson. Woodward Avenue, a multi-lane road that stretches over 27 miles, making its way through 11 communities, dates back to 1805 when it was originally platted. In 1909, responding to demand for smoother roads by bicyclists…

May 16, 2013

Sault Ste. Marie Builds Sense of Place Through Creative Partnerships

Recently, a team of League staff members visited the city of Sault Ste. Marie on two separate missions: two staffers were there to film a new Town Gown "vlog" (video blog) on the city's partnership with Lake Superior State University,…

May 16, 2013

Michigan Municipal League 2013 Community Excellence Award Entries

The Michigan Municipal League's annual Community Excellence Award showcases innovative solutions, programs or projects that have had a positive impact on their community, and can be replicated in other communities with similar challenges. The winner from each region will go…

May 9, 2013

Happy Trails!

My colleague, Liz Shaw and I, decided that at the first faint signs of spring, we would begin our little journey of experiencing many of the great bicycle trails that wind their way through Michigan. (I should note that Liz…

April 17, 2013

Placemaking Leadership Council

Last week, a team of staff members from the Michigan Municipal League was invited to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Placemaking Leadership Council , held in Detroit and hosted by Project for Public Spaces. It was truly inspiring…

March 21, 2013

Let’s Save Michigan Hosts Twitter Town Hall on Pop Up Placemaking

Crowds flow into one of the temporary businesses sparked by REVOLVE's popup program in Detroit's West Village neighborhood. The March 19th "Twitter Town Hall on Popup Placemaking" reached a potential audience of more than 44,000 individuals and organizations across Michigan…

March 8, 2013

Smaller, Faster, Wider: An Innovative Approach to the People and Politics of Placemaking

It started as an idle thought when Ann Arbor businessman Mark Hodesh pondered the unused lot behind his Downtown Home and Garden store: What about food trucks? In two short years, the once-vacant lot has become a hot spot for…

March 6, 2013

Crunching the Numbers on Aging in Michigan

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) recently held the 2013 Age-Friendly Communities Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here are some eye-opening facts on the aging American populace, with an emphasis on Michigan, which illustrates whyÂ it makes good economic…

February 27, 2013

West Branch Merchants on Main Street Make-Over: “We Don’t Have 5 or 6 Years to Wait”

A recent visit to West Branch was a great reminder to me that placemaking is never "place made." It's an ongoing process as a community continues to evolve. A few years ago, West Branch launched a placemaking campaign focused on…

February 19, 2013

Global Design Can Inspire Local Solutions

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…