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For almost 2 decades national research has shown that ‘place’ matters. A community or city will prosper especially if young people are attracted to it. Now The Michigan Municipal League is breaking that information down so every resident of this state can take action. Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus reports.
“Yeah we’re pretty pleased to be part of a downtown rehab project.”
Arnold Weinfeld works for the Michigan Municipal League in Lansing. The lobby of the building has original pewabic tile and wood paneling. He walks across the street to the Methodist church made of stone.
“This is the church my wife and I were married in she still goes here.”
The church and the state capital share a street corner with the Michigan Municipal League. It’s a non-profit group. Weinfeld and the MML have come up with 8 guideposts for making Michigan prosperous. It’s based on places like this one.
“Physical design and walkability, green initiatives, cultural economic development, entrepreneurship, diversity, multiculturalism, transit, messaging and technology and education, your k-16 community.”
You might think of course these things are important. Who wouldn’t be trying to improve them? Well Michigan spent the second half of the 20th century dismantling the assets built in the first half. Detroit had 300 miles of municipal railway. That was 1922. It was the largest in the world. Lansing had trains that ran north to St. Johns, south to Jackson and east to Lake Lansing. The Michigan Municipal League has now created a one stop shop for people wanting to remake their communities.
“are you gardening for jobs now instead of hunting for the next big box manufacturing plant. We really feel that sustainable job growth comes in ones and twos, and over the long haul through the development of entrepreneurs and small businesses.”
Weinfeld says get the public to invest in large scale projects that require government intervention, like transit. And let the private sector invest in places. That’s how Portland Oregon and Seattle Washington have drained off thousands of young talented Michiganders.
“It’s about reintroducing the physical form that helps to attract these people to our communities. That’s a big part of it.”
So what’s Weinfeld’s favorite aspect of community development?
“I think it really starts with physical design. Making your community, your downtowns and your neighborhoods walkable by using traffic calming devices, whether it’s shrinking the width of the street. I think the design will help to attract the young people, artists and entrepreneurs and create that sense of place.”
Arnold Weinfeld left New York City in 1977 to study at Michigan State University. And he’s been here ever since. He hopes to keep reversing trends.
“The quality of life in Michigan is fantastic. It’s very affordable. I’ve now lived in Michigan many more years than I ever lived in NY, having come out here to go to school. I think this place is worth saving.”
For Michigan Now, I’m Chris McCarus in Lansing.
