Placemaking MML

April 24, 2018

Developer matchmaking projects moving forward

A year ago, the city of Ypsilanti released a developer request for qualifications for a city-owned parcel--this was the first of four properties around the state that the League's Civic Innovation Labs team supported as part of a MSHDA-funded effort to…

April 5, 2018

The Future of Parking Lots & Commercial Real Estate

When reading the latest news about smart city technology and future trends, it's easy to get overwhelmed. So many guesses, predictions and reports to sift through - is it all just noise? Sure, most of it likely is. But as…

April 2, 2018

Congratulations to Muskegon, 2018’s Strongest Town!

Muskegon has been named this year's Strongest Town, beating Kent, Ohio, in the final round of voting, and joining the 2017 champion, Traverse City, at the top of this international contest. (Holland made the final four in the inaugural contest…

March 12, 2018

Appreciating Michigan’s Placemaking Progress

Last week, I had the privilege to present to the Illinois Rural Community Economic Development Conference, a statewide event bringing together community leaders and representatives of state and federal government and academia. They invited me to share Michigan's lessons from…

February 21, 2018

In pursuit of seamless regional transit

With metro Detroit's Regional Transit Authority once more debating whether to pursue funding at the ballot in 2018, some old questions have been revived: won't it just be confusing to riders to have new rapid transit lines operating under a…

January 25, 2018

League & MEDC release guides to redevelopment

We kicked off 2018 by putting the finishing touches on three guidance documents in partnership with MEDC's Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program. The Redevelopment Ready Sites Guide, Developer RFQ Guide and Developer RFQ template were written for communities pursuing RRC certification,…

January 18, 2018

PlacePlans Projects: Where Are They Now?

Throughout 2017, the League's Review magazine featured updates on the successes, failures and lessons learned from the 20+ local community engagement and redevelopment initiatives facilitated by League staff, Michigan State University faculty and expert consultants as part of the PlacePlans…

November 10, 2017

Neighborhood Placemaking Grants Available

Earlier this year, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) announced a new Neighborhood Enhancement grant program targeted at beautification and public space improvements. After the response to the first round, MSHDA has already announced round two of the grants are…

October 27, 2017

Searching for Housing Solutions in the Grand Traverse Region

During the past year or so, one theme has become increasingly prevalent as I travel the state and talk to leaders from communities of all shapes and sizes: Michigan's current housing supply is not keeping up with modern needs. That's…

September 29, 2017

Looking Ahead to the Creative Placemaking Summit

On October 11, Lansing is hosting its third annual Creative Placemaking Summit. I'm honored to be one of the presenters and will be sharing the stage with two of my favorite creative placemakers, Rebekah Kik and Danielle Lewinski. Our assignment…