Those might sound like very different subjects. But both are examples of how city officials are engaging with citizens and collaborating with community partners to build a sense of place that is uniquely “the Soo.”

The city’s streetscape renovations and revitalization have provided a waterfront gathering place for people to relax, exercise, learn and celebrate. The placemaking project includes a new half-mile interpretive walkway stretching from the Soo Locks to the historic homes of some of the community’s most notable founders. The walkway features 33 informational panels detailing the area’s rich history from its beginnings as a Native American village to its establishment as Michigan’s oldest European settlement in 1668. City Hall, a recently repurposed historic Federal Building, is situated on historic grounds at the center of the walkway, providing a premier location for festivals and community gatherings, from weekend festivities to leisurely evening walks.

On the town gown front, Sault United is a steering committee composed of community leaders representing the City, the University, War Memorial Hospital, the area and intermediate school districts, the economic development corporation, and the downtown development authority. The effort is a direct result of a pilot project led by the League to help the city find new ways to evolve into a true university town.

In both cases, the city has opened its doors to creative partnerships on every level, from bringing LSSU students downtown for a zombie walk and haunted homecoming parade, to working closely with local native tribes to ensure the new Water Street project tells both sides of the community’s rich and colorful past with accuracy and mutual respect.

The results of these ongoing efforts are already visible in terms of economic impact and a reenergizing of the entire downtown. Thousands gathered downtown for the city’s and university’s newly combined Halloween festivities. A photography scavenger hunt encouraged students to explore the city’s landmarks and businesses. A whole calendar of first-time and annual events brought crowds to a newly vibrant Water Street in 2012, with even more events planned for 2013 and beyond.

If you haven’t been to Sault Ste. Marie in a few years and think the Soo Locks are all there is to see, then it’s time to plan another visit to “the place where Michigan was born.” But bring a big suitcase. Once you’re there, you just might want to stay.

Most CEA entries could also be described as placemaking success stories. Here’s what Michigan communities shared at this year’s CEA presentations during the League’s 2013 Capital Conference in Lansing:

REGION 1: (southeastern portion of the state’s Lower Peninsula)
Fenton, Holly and Linden’s Shiawassee River Heritage Water Trail represents intergovernmental cooperation, recreational opportunities and economic development for the communities in southern Genesee County and northern Oakland County. Spearheaded by Headwaters Trails Inc. and supported by the Keepers of the Shiawassee,recreation activity on the Shiawassee River has increased over the last decade largely due to promotional signs; mile markers along the river to inform paddlers of their location; promotional brochures; annual clean-up events; canoe and kayak races; and moonlight paddle events.

Eastpointe’s Service Line Affordable Protection Program (SLAPP) is an insurance program that covers the costs of replacing both water and sewer laterals for the monthly low charge of $4. The community has more than 2,500 participants out of an eligible group of about 8,000 potential users. The majority of Eastpointe homes (and their water and sewer connections to the city lines) are 50 to 90 years old. Replacement is the resident’s financial responsibility, which is often an unexpected cost many can’t afford. This plan provides reliable contractors, covers all the costs of replacing the lateral connections for that small $4 monthly charge, plus reconstruction of city property as needed.

Grosse Pointe’s Wellness Center and Patient Facility is a joint effort of the city, Neighborhood Club and Beaumont Health System. The $12 million state of the art Wellness Center and Patient Facility includes a 1,200-person/family health club, Beaumont Health System Child Development Clinic and Offices, a day care center, a gym, and a lap pool.

New Baltimore’s “Make New Baltimore Your Destination” presentation highlighted a number of community improvements including a waste water plant, police station, library expansion, non-motorized bike/walking trails leading to the local high school, a new 24-foot-security boat, four new baseball diamonds, and a new city park with walking trails on a 40-acre parcel of land.

Plymouth’s Northville-Plymouth Fire Agreement represents the re-definition of the shared services concept by two municipalities. Both cities – Northville and Plymouth – are similar in size and population and accomplished what many community officials and local politicians thought was impossible: Consolidating fire services for two non-contiguous cities under one simple 11-page, inter-local agreement. One year later the public is happy, both cities are saving money, and they are delivering high levels of service.

Rochester’s Main Street Makeover was a $7.6 million project to rebuild Main Street, improve water service, and add streetscape improvements to enhance the overall downtown experience.

Westland’s Core Shopping and Dining District project was a significant investment to purchase a 67,000 square-foot building that had been vacant for many years By moving the city hall into this vacant big box building, they freed up 14 acres of prime property on Ford Road. Because of this $15 million investment by the city, the area has experienced a large amount of positive change and investment by others.

REGION 2: (south-central and southwestern portions of the Lower Peninsula)
St. Joseph’s Silver Beach development project transformed vacant property and antiquated industrial buildings dotting the city’s lakefront. Silver Beach now includes the Silver Beach Carousel, the Curious Kids’ Discovery Zone and Michigan’s largest interactive water fountain. Thanks to the generosity of the community, Whirlpool and several local families, more than $8.2 million was raised to privately fund the project. Today, Silver Beach Center is a mecca for tourists and local residents who want to create memories.

Albion’s Crowell School project was a joint effort with Albion Public Schools, Albion Senior Center, and Kellogg Community College to house operations in an old school that was slated to be closed and vacant. By working together, they kept the old Crowell School a viable neighborhood asset, saved the school district $70,000 annually, and housed different entities with similar operations under one roof.

The Baroda, Bridgman and Berrien Springs and the surrounding townships of Lake, Baroda, and Oronoko came together to reinvent the Lake Street/Shawanee Road “Lake to Grapes” corridor into a nationally recognized agri-tourism location offering wine and fresh produce. The work included cooperative rebranding of the local economy emphasizing tourism, promoting the vintner/brew geography as a nationally recognized brand, rebranding individual community identity into themes such as “Beach Town” and “Heart of Wine Country,” and undertaking an award winning cooperative “wayfinding” communication program.

South Haven’s Kal Haven Trail Extension and Williams Street Reconstruction project included the extension of the Kal Haven Trail into downtown South Haven, and the reconstruction of the historic Williams Street, which features prominent views of the Black River and Lake Michigan.

REGION 3: (west-central area of the state’s Lower Peninsula)
Belding joined with Belding Area Schools for a community garden that is accessible to all residents of the city and surrounding areas. It provides social, educational and nutritional opportunities to those who may not otherwise have access to fresh produce. Donations and grants to date have exceeded $10,500. Phase 1 of the project opened to gardeners on Memorial Weekend 2012 and featured 16 beds, including two handicap accessible beds. Thirteen families signed up to work the garden for the year with three sponsoring a bed for their family and one sponsoring a bed for the food pantry. Four families gardened solely for the benefit of the Belding Food Pantry. To date, the Belding Community Garden has donated about eight bushels of fresh produce to the food pantry.

Whitehall’s Lake Street reconstruction project has transformed it into the first fully integrated “green street” in the state of Michigan. It integrates bioswales, naturalized detention, filter strips, treatment wetlands, permeable concrete, and permeable pavers to reduce sediments, nutrients, and other contaminants from entering the lake through typical “first flush” stormwater discharge. Harmful pollutants will no longer reach the lake: 95 percent of all metals; 90 percent of suspended solids, organics and bacteria; 80 percent of phosphorus and ammonium; and 75 percent of nitrogen. The project also includes a breathtaking extension of the city’s pedestrian walkway, enhancing the community’s livability as a quality place.

REGION 4 (east-central part of the state’s Lower Peninsula, excluding the Thumb)DeWitt’s First Annual 2012 DeWitt Community Showcase featured the cooperation of three different jurisdictions—the city of DeWitt, DeWitt Township and DeWitt Public Schools. The event was held at the DeWitt High School and was an opportunity for area businesses, students and community civic groups to “show-off” to the community what they had to offer. The event was free for all who participated and featured a Taste of DeWitt, student art pieces, student performances and more than 100 exhibits by area businesses and civic groups. The event drew more than 2,000 area residents.

Ithaca’s transfer of police services and duties from the Ithaca Police Department to the newly created Ithaca Unit of the Gratiot County Sheriff’s was an example of economy, cooperation, and efficiency by the city council, police, and city staff, as well as the sheriff, county commission, and county staff.

Mount Pleasant’s Access Adventure Trail opened in 2010 and was expanded in 2012 as a universally accessible non-motorized pathway through Chipp-A-Waters Park that joins to another trail leading through five other parks. The paved trail was made possible through the efforts of many community partners. It is 10 feet wide and includes an eight foot by 150 foot pedestrian bridge that crosses the Chippewa River, with a scenic turnout where visitors can view both sides of the river at wheelchair height through glass panels. The trail also features universally accessible fixed viewing scopes. It is part of a three-year project focused on universal access and inclusiveness in the city’s recreation facilities, programs and services designed to serve people of all ages and abilities in the Mount Pleasant community.

REGION 5: (Michigan’s Thumb)
Imlay City’s economic gardening program began in the fall of 2010 with the development of a strategic process to foster growth in the key areas of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and overall economic development, or SEED. Growth is fostered through continuous networking events, Entrepreneur Meet Ups, educational workshops and other initiatives.

Harbor Beach’s interpretive sign project created a greater sense of place for both residents and visitors to the city, through the creation and installation of 20 interpretive signs along the city’s bike path, depicting significant historic sites and events in the community’s past.

Lexington’s volunteerism is a long-running tradition that is key to the village’s success and survival throughout the years. Examples include the fire department, the Lexington Business Association, and the Lexington Yacht Club. Volunteer groups raise thousands of dollars each year that is put directly into Lexington’s economy.

REGION 6 (northern portion of the Lower Peninsula)
Rogers City’s placemaking effort includes a streetscape upgraded with people-friendly amenities including new LED lighting and ADA ramps, flower baskets, and wayfinding signage. Ten percent of the city’s existing downtown storefronts opened with new destination businesses in 2012. New events, programs and amenities to bring people downtown include recreational trails and pocket parks, a new downtown museum annex, two new public art projects and several exciting new library programs. Social life has been enhanced with such festivities as “Martin Mania,” a downtown street dance to celebrate nature and help at-risk children. The effort has paid off with as many as 100 new jobs in a city of 2,782 people.

REGION 7 (Michigan’s Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood plans to revitalize a railroad depot into a park that promotes health, history, and recreation. The plan is to merge city blocks, add a pavilion, playground equipment, landscaping, volleyball courts and other amenities. The park will also serve as a trail head for non-motorized trails crossing the region.

Ontonagon’s Complete Streets initiative was in May of 2012. Village streets were prioritized for paving projects in 2013. The selected streets were reviewed under the state’s Complete Streets criteria, designed for increasing accessibility for all users, from pedestrians and bicyclists to mass transit users and those with physical disabilities. Two blocks of Quartz Street were selected to include a paved non-motorized path for bicyclists and walkers. The council approved the street projects in June. The Quartz Street pathway will be completed in the summer of 2013.

Sault Ste. Marie’s Historic Water Street streetscape renovations and revitalization have provided a waterfront gathering place for people to relax, exercise, learn and celebrate. It includes a new half-mile interpretive walkway stretching from the Soo Locks to the historic homes of some of the community’s most notable founders. The walkway features 33 informational panels detailing the area’s rich history from its beginnings as a Native American village to its establishment as Michigan’s oldest European settlement in 1668. City Hall, a recently repurposed historic Federal Building, is situated on historic grounds at the center of the walkway, providing a premier location for festivals and community gatherings, from weekend festivities to leisurely evening walks.

Paint Creek Trail is an 8.9 mile rail-to-trail stretch across a region crossing through the cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills, Village of Lake Orion, and Orion/Oakland townships. It meanders through fields, prairies, woodlands and marshlands, and with the leaves not fully sprouted we could still catch glimpses of some beautiful homes tucked along the trail. Not only are there many parks and recreation areas along the way, but restaurants and shops offer many diversions for trail users to enjoy. Always looking for an excuse to eat, we enjoyed a great lunch outdoors at the Paint Creek Cider Mill. The owner said the trailside location is a definite benefit and that during the warm months he gets a huge percentage of his business from trail users.

This might surprise you, but Michigan is #1 in rail-trail miles – 2,623 miles! The only states that come within a bike ride’s reach of us are Minnesota and Wisconsin. And Paint Creek was the first rail-trail opened in 1983. The rail-to-trails movement began in the 1970s when an abundance of rail lines lay unused (a sad testament to the demise of a once bustling transit option, but that’s another story) and trail advocates began working hard, often over a period of many years, to covert old rail lines to multi-use trails. Today, many of the trails now link into long continuous (and sometimes cross-state) routes in multiple regions of the state. More projects are in the offing.

Non-motorized trails are an important piece of the placemaking vernacular. They offer a rich, healthy, experience for people of all ages, celebrate the seasons and beauty of Michigan’s outdoors, make us think beyond jurisdictional lines, and provide economic benefits to businesses and home owners nearby.

We’ll share more of our biking odyssey in the coming months. Meanwhile, happy trails!

The League’s executive director and CEO, Dan Gilmartin, delivered the opening keynote address, sharing the stage with Fred Kent, president and founder of Project for Public Spaces, Rip Rapson, president, The Kresge Foundation, Dan Gilbert, chairman, Rock Ventures and Opportunity Detroit, and Jessica Goldman Srebnick, CEO, Goldman Properties.  These heavy-weights in the placemaking arena kicked off the conference and shared their knowledge and visions not only for Detroit, but how placemaking can be a catalyst for change in neighborhoods, commercial corridors and entertainment districts.

Dan Gilmartin’ s address to the crowd of enthusiasts focused on the importance of Placemaking in Michigan and the work the League is doing on behalf of Michigan’s communities. The League continues to utilize its partnerships and connections to make placemaking the front and center economic discussion in the state.  Better communities will make a better Michigan and it was very evident during the Placemaking Leadership Council meeting that investing in our communities through place-based strategies is the key to Michigan’s economic turnaround.

The League appreciated the opportunity to be a part of this important meeting of the minds and looks forward to engaging in future discussions and work with the Leadership Council!

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 and the entire nation.The social media event (itself a kind of popup public forum!) was sponsored by Let’s Save Michigan to help spread the word on pop ups—temporary events and projects that experiment with novel ways to energize and activate public spaces.

Some of those experiments can blossom into permanent businesses or urban innovations, while others can open new conversations about what is and isn’t possible in urban planning (think 2009’s famous temporary transformation of New York City’s Times Square into a pedestrian mall, using nothing more than lawn chairs and pylons).

The featured experts were Michael Forsyth, the retail business development manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Program Manager of REVOLVE; Rachel Perschetz, who currently works in real estate development as a Detroit revitalization fellow at Southwest Housing Solutions, a nonprofit housing developer in Southwest Detroit;Talia Piazza, a life-long Pittsburgh, PA  resident who is the marketing and program coordinator at the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development; and Kristen Freiss, the program manager for Leadership Pittsburgh Inc.

Each spoke about the pop up projects they’ve been involved in. Michael explained how REVOLVE has sparked a whole flock of temporary shops, art installations and eateries in vacant storefronts in Detroit’s West Village. The pop ups demonstrate the potential viability of permanent businesses in the neighborhood.

Rachel is making her mark on pop up culture in Detroit by organizing events such as the Historic Hubbard Winter Market and Tashmoo Biergarten.

Talia focuses on new and creative ways to revitalize neighborhoods, including building co-ops and incubators to making a neighborhood zombie film.

Among her many roles, Kristen manages PopUp! Pittsburgh, a one-day phenomenon during which LPInc works with a “tipping point” neighborhood to revitalize and activate space through pop ups.

Besides sharing their personal experiences, the experts offered some savvy tidbits of wisdom and advice to others wanting to try the pop up concept, including: engage residents and businesses from the start; make it fun; do your homework on local codes and ordinances; don’t be afraid to fail.

The one-hour public conversation was echoed via Twitter, at a rate of 3.4 tweets per minute.

“In terms of panelist feedback, there was a round of emailing about how they all enjoyed the conversation; they specifically noted that it was great to share ideas and learn from other projects,” said organizer Sarah Szurpicki. ”One commented that her entire office had been discussing for the rest of the day what a great concept the call/town hall was.  It’s a role I really like for LSM — bringing ‘do-ers’ together and facilitating a conversation that allows them to share information.”

In two short years, the once-vacant lot has become a hot spot for local foodies and sparked a statewide food truck movement. Mark’s Carts now provides employment for dozens of people, and has already kick-started two brick-and-mortar restaurants as well as a seasonal beer garden. ”It’s moved downtown’s center of gravity one block west,” said Hodesh, and boosted foot traffic for his happy neighbors. An unexpected bonus: the new lunch crowds cut across the city’s disparate demographics, painlessly bridging the gap between student and “townie” populations.

That’s the kind of organic placemaking that can happen when city officials open their doors to innovative thinking. It was one of the case studies presented at a recent Governing Innovation Workshop sponsored by the Michigan Municipal League at the Innovatrium, an Ann Arbor-based consulting firm that helps organizations reinvent themselves through creative thinking.

The goal was to help city leaders learn how to recognize the innovators in their own communities, and how to restructure their own processes in ways that will help them “connect the dots” to make these “small wins” a reality.

“When you ask what stops innovation, money isn’t one of them,” said workshop leader Chris Mueller. “It’s stuff like lengthy development time, lack of coordination, a fear of taking risks. We need to think smaller, faster, wider and let those small wins build momentum. But how do we become the host of the party and not the party itself? That’s the challenge.”

Sometimes it’s learning how to get out of the way, said Ann Arbor Community Services Area Administrator Sumedh Bahl.

“A city has rules for a reason, but there are always ways to help them navigate the rules,” said Bahl. “We have a role as regulators but our role as government is also to facilitate. When you leverage your citizens as a resource to get things done, you make them a partner to solve the problem.”

Jonesville Village Manager Adam Smith was inspired by the story of Detroit Soup, a neighborhood group that hosts a simple monthly dinner where attendees vote to fund small community projects with the money raised by the meal. Smith hopes to try a similar event in the Jonesville High School cafeteria, where attendees would vote to support projects proposed by student entrepreneurs.

He’s already met with officials from Jonesville Schools and the Hillsdale County ISD and is planning to present the idea to his village council soon.

“This is the kind of thing that could really start our young people on the road to success, and maybe someday they’ll look back and say this is where it all began,” said Smith. “It’s all about building relationships, and us just being the facilitator.”

The League is hoping to work with the Innovatrium on similar workshops in the future, and is working with Mueller’s team to improve the workshop’s model to make their innovation-themed learning even more applicable to local governments.

We’ll also follow up with Jonesville to see if they’ve been able to make their version of Soup a win for local teens!

The last Baby Boomer turns 65 in 2030.

32.8% of Michigan’s population is over the age of 50. That number is projected to increase to 36.8% by 2030.

Seniors are economic drivers not drains: Americans ages 50+ control over half of America’s discretionary income, and a significant percentage of new businesses are started by people in this age group.

Michigan residents ages 65+ have a combined annual income of $37 billion and tend to spend much of that income locally.

Forget the snowbird myth. Nearly 90% of those ages 65+ want to stay in their home for as long as possible. But without age-friendly changes in how communities are constructed and service are delivered, many will find it difficult if not impossible to do so.

71.7% of Michigan’s housing stock are detached single-family homes—but less than half of all Michigan households are married couples, and slightly less than a third have children under the age of 18.

The case for walkability: one in five Americans ages 65+ do not drive. In fact, men outlive their “drive-ability” by 7 years, and women by 10 years.

The case for public transit:  Older adults increased their use of public transit by 40% between 2001 and 2009. About 15% of those over age 65 use public transit at least once a month, with more than half of them needing specialized transportation.

During the last century, the number of Americans over age 65 multiplied nearly 11 times, from 3.1 million in 1900 to 35 million in 2000.

Only about 5% of those ages 65+ require long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. About 15% suffer from chronic conditions which somewhat limit their ability to be fully active. The remaining 80% are able to engage in the normal activities of living.

Almost 30% of families have at least one member with a disability—but only 3% of Americans live in homes with any kind of accessibility features.

A few years ago, West Branch launched a placemaking campaign focused on cultural economic development strategies for their downtown Main Street businesses. The result was Fabulous Fridays, featuring weekly themed events throughout the summer that have boosted overall business 10-15 percent annually for the entire downtown.

Now city officials are focusing on physical design and walkability as the next phase in their placemaking battle plan.

Last fall, the Michigan Department of Transportation rebuilt the I-75 business loop at exits 212 and 215 into West Branch. City leaders want to make sure an impending MDOT project through town will include elements to make Houghton Avenue more bike- and pedestrian-friendly, instead of just a better thru-way for trucks and cars.

“We want to make sure we’re ahead of the game in going to MDOT with a plan saying this is how we’d like our downtown–now help us build it,” said City Manager Tom Youatt. “We realize this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we want to be sure we do it wisely and we do it right.”

They started by bringing in national expert Dan Burden to do a walkability audit of the downtown, inviting local merchants, MDOT representatives, city staffers, and local media to walk along.

Despite being the city’s Main Street, Houghton Avenue is a multi-lane major truck route straight through the heart of town. And with one traffic light and no marked crosswalks, it’s the rare chicken who would risk getting from one side to the other. It’s the biggest challenge for merchants working to revitalize the shopping district, said Silver Lining boutique owner Peter Fabbri.

“You can’t have outdoor seating with double-trailer logging trucks roaring past,” said Fabbri, who was shouting to be heard above the screech of a passing semi’s air brakes. “I’ve got an 80-year-old tenant living upstairs and she can hardly stand the noise. It literally shakes my 114-year-old building. The only reason they’re doing it is because they can. We’ve got to quit treating this road like a super highway and treat it like what it is: the main thread in the fabric of our town.”

Burden’s suggested “road diet” would take Main Street down from five lanes to two, framed by clearly painted “transition lanes” to act as both traffic buffer and bike lanes. A roundabout at the main intersection would smooth traffic flow and offer a central focal point for the downtown.

More surprising to participants was his idea to reclaim some of the existing sidewalk’s unused “furniture zone” at the outer edge, using it to add back-in angled parking, with curb extensions at the intersections to increase pedestrian visibility and safety, frame in the new parking, and add potential seating and ornamental features. That and more trees would create that all-important sense of enclosure that’s currently missing, Burden said. Downtown buildings should also be required to have 70-90% glass on their storefronts to provide a sense of security and transparency and to offer more diversity and “eye appeal.”

Requiring more windows would just take changing the local building ordinance. Other improvements would require changing a state law, like one banning angle parking on a state highway, even through a city’s downtown.

Two currently unused spaces between buildings (called a paseo or alley) could be great moneymakers for adjacent eateries and other businesses, he said, by converting them to beautiful outdoor living areas with seating and other features that create a sense of “to go-ness.”

Creating a visual “gateway” at the Rifle River Bridge at the central business district’s east end would make drivers feel they’ve arrived at a real place, Burden said, naturally enticing them to slow down and maybe even stop for a closer look. With the soon-to-be-extended River Walk here, it’s also the perfect spot for a much-needed mid-block crosswalk.

The MDOT project isn’t slated until 2019-2020 so that gives the city plenty of time to develop a plan, seek out potential funding and—most importantly—build community support for a unified vision of the future downtown, said Youatt. But with the right motivation, that timeline could be moved up.

“Just because that process has always taken five to six years doesn’t mean it has to be that way. If we all do our part locally, maybe we can get bumped up sooner in MDOT’s schedule,” said Youatt.

Fabbri agreed.

“I understand timelines but pushing the envelope is something we should be looking at,” said Fabbri. “It’s been shown these kinds of changes can increase local business up to 30 percent. We’ve got businesses working really hard to stay afloat right now. Some might not have five years or more to wait.”

Looking for an inspirational approach to recycling that can generate income for the poor or developmentally disabled? In Cairo, Egypt, local officials have developed innovative partnerships that boost the supply-and-demand for creatively recycled materials.

It used to be common practice to look no farther than our local neighbors for ideas and solutions that could be translated to meet our own community’s challenges. But today’s global economy has transformed our world into a smaller place, where a rapid transit system in Guangzhou, China might be just the ticket to solve our own Complete Streets challenge…or a global village design in Pakistan could provide the perfect low-cost model for emergency housing after a local tornado or flood.

Design With the Other 90%: CITIES is one in a series of themed exhibitions curated by the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, that demonstrate how design can be a dynamic force in transforming lives, by addressing the basic needs of the “other 90%” of the world’s population not typically served by the design community.

But the truly valuable revelation here is how often these “global solutions” can help spark us to reimagine the way we approach our own issues right here at home. Even an exotic innovation in some distant, emerging economy could have a practical application in our local backyard. Check out their website and be prepared to be inspired!

Recently the League created a Town/Gown Blog series, to promote activities that Cities and their Universities and Colleges are doing to create a better connection between the quality of life in the community and the assets a higher education institution brings. And, investing in education is one of the League’s eight assets as part of our Center for 21st Century Communities. Well, we decided that these projects were too exciting to to just log on a website – so we have kicked off an accompanying vlog series – where we are seeking to bring these projects and places alive. Check out our first installation from Flint!