- American Society of Civil Engineers President Blaine Leonard, 2010

Cities aren’t static. They are living, breathing places that require constant monitoring to flourish. It’s what makes them great. The best ones are “managed” by a healthy mix of engaged citizens, thoughtful civic leaders, committed business owners, and competent local officials. While I can  argue that the importance of all four groups is equal in relation to the others, I would like to focus this post on the importance of the local government structure and the challenges that confront the system today.

At a time when the world’s population is dashing towards urban areas at a rate of nearly 60 million people a year, cities in the U.S. are grappling with challenges borne out of decades of disinvestment in big ticket areas like transportation, public safety, and basic infrastructure.

The neglect in certain areas is, no doubt, intentional. In the latter half of the 20^th Century as populations shifted, demographics swung and the political landscape hastened changes in funding priorities at the state and federal levels of government, cities often found themselves on the losing end of budget battles with other competitors in the race for public dollars and dedicated programming.

Some of the inattention to cities, though, takes on a more benign feel. In a political system where any and all development is mistakenly deemed “growth”, cities often finds themselves battling low cost green fields for commercial and residential investment. Lawmakers, land speculators, and even well intentioned consumers follow along with the latest and greatest promises for a better tomorrow. However, these clumsy development patterns often create instability for the new and old places alike. Sprawl occurs. Private dollars are spread over ever increasing tracts of land. Lawmakers who are predisposed to take a narrow, short term view of the growth pattern du jour, begin reallocating key funds and programs to “follow the growth”and a new normal is declared. In the end, it doesn’t work well for anyone.  The smart growth advocates have done a nice job of illustrating the pitfalls that come with such thinking.

Throw in a heavy dose of anti-government rhetoric, the public’s mood to cut taxes, and some high profile cases of the mismanagement of funds and you have a perfect storm for public disinvestment in the very places that oodles of studies show represent our greatest chance for competing for future growth and jobs in the global economy.

Very few communities have been spared. While problems in cities like Detroit receive the most coverage, towns of all shapes and sizes are struggling with budgets, cutting services, and deferring critical infrastructure projects. The Feds balance their budgets on the states. The states do it to the locals. And the locals wind up cutting critical services to citizens. Something has to give.

So while infrastructure updates and programming for public spaces aren’t the sexiest of topics surrounding the reemergence of American cities (are you listening Mr. Hipster coffee/bike/soft serve ice cream shop owner?), they remain vitally important to the health of communities and the ability of their inhabitants to lead prosperous lives. It is important that we continue the work to shift the ‘growth and job creation’ discussions away from simple ideological meanderings regarding taxes and regulations and place more emphasis on the importance of having attractive, energetic, competitive places that will compete on a global scale because they offer a better quality-of-life and more economic opportunity than other destinations.

I am more convinced than ever that local governments are part of the answer. City Hall is changing, not fast enough for many, but the changes are real. A move toward providing a secure platform for the community, not simply the traditional role of local regulator, is underway in many cities and villages already. It is happening out of economic necessity and because it is the right thing to do. This bodes well for the future if we find it within our local, state, and national discussions to provide a new focus on the critical parts they play in the equation.

Here is another piece that I will share from my uber-talented colleague Liz Shaw. Liz recently attended the kick-off event for Jonesville Soup, a hyper local crowd sourcing event in a small town in southern Michigan. The event showed why placemaking principles are vitally important in small towns. Here is her synopsis on the happenings, with lots of “how-to” ideas along the way.

Jonesville SOUP

 Not every community is home to a college or university where a Town Gown partnership can be forged.  But many municipalities are finding they can join forces with their local K-12 school districts to strengthen their shared community.

 Earlier this spring, village officials, business leaders and educators mixed up a new recipe for creative collaboration in Jonesville with the first-ever Jonesville SOUP (Students on Upward Pursuits).

 The grassroots fundraising concept is a simple one, based on the original Detroit SOUP, in which community members contribute a small donation to share a meal while listening to their neighbors pitch ideas for local arts and small business projects. At the end of the evening, everyone votes on their favorite project, with the winner receiving the dinner’s proceeds to launch their dream.

Jonesville’s then-Village Manager Adam Smith (who has since moved on to manage Mackinaw City) was inspired to try a local version after hearing about the concept at a Michigan Municipal League seminar on government and community innovation, held in March at the Innovatrium in Ann Arbor. Also in attendance were County National Bank Jonesville Branch Manager Don Germann and Hillsdale County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Christine Bowman.

Presenters at Jonesville Soup

The trio saw it as a great opportunity to connect the rural community’s business, municipal and education sectors. Smith put his own innovative twist on the idea by focusing the Jonesville version on students. Within days, the idea had won the collaborative support of the village council, Jonesville Community Schools, and the Hillsdale County Chamber of Commerce.

They also engaged corporate partners to ensure the event’s success.

“Being the inaugural event, we had no idea what kind of response to expect and we wanted to be able to guarantee a certain amount for the award. Our corporate partners made that possible,” said Smith. The meal was catered at cost by OIivia’s Chop House, a local eatery, and sponsored by Martinrea Jonesville LLC, a manufacturer for the automotive and industrial sectors that is Hillsdale County’s largest employer.

Attendees paid $5 for a soup and salad dinner in the Jonesville High School cafeteria, while local high school students pitched their best and brightest ideas for community-based projects.

“It’s pushed our kids to think how they can do things to help not just themselves but those in the community. It’s sparked ideas about making the community look better, taking pride in the community, looking out for their fellow students,” said Jonesville High School Principal Dustin Scharer. “It shows we all have a vested interest in our kids, that it’s not just the schools.”

 Three student groups signed up to vie for the $500 award to put their idea into action. The school’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) chapter sought funds to help bolster their annual post-prom party. A group of landscape design students displayed plans for an interpretive nature garden at the elementary school. The winner was the school’s National FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter, which is building a community garden to provide produce for local food banks and for the agriculture program’s food processing class.

Community leaders are already planning how to make next year’s event even bigger and better, said Germann, hopefully turning it into a community tradition that will continue long after its originators have moved on.

“It’s the fusion of civic engagement, entrepreneurism, placemaking, micro-financing, and our next generation of leaders,” said Smith. “This is the kind of thing that could really start our young people on the road to success. Maybe someday they’ll look back and say this is where it all began. It’s all about building relationships, and us just being the facilitator.”

]]> http://www.economicsofplace.com/2013/05/1441/feed/ 0 http://www.economicsofplace.com/2013/05/janes-walk-this-weekend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=janes-walk-this-weekend http://www.economicsofplace.com/2013/05/janes-walk-this-weekend/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 15:15:37 +0000 Dan Gilmartin http://www.economicsofplace.com/?p=1435 Continue reading →]]> The good people at Let’s Save Michigan have taken it upon themselves to coordinate “an international event that gathers neighbors together to walk, talk, and generate ideas to get local residents involved in the future of their cities.”

Jane’s Walk provides fun, recreation and a great learning experience for participants

Jane’s Walk, named in honor of the great urbanist Jane Jacobs, is a series of local events across the country and around the world where individuals can explore their own communities (or the next town over, for that matter) ON FOOT! In her seminal book The Death and Life of Great American Cities Jacobs wrote  of the importance of seeing and experiencing cities, towns, and neighborhoods from the ground. Too often in our current auto centric culture we struggle to understand good urban principles as we fly past at 40 MPH. Jane’s Walk is a fun way to reconnect with our places- the architecture, the culture and the opportunities.

So, if you’re not doing anything this weekend then get out and enjoy a walk. A list (not complete) of local walks can be found at the Let’s Save Michigan site. If your city isn’t on it then consider doing one yourself. If your experience is like the thousands of individuals who have done so in the own hometown than it will be plenty worth the effort.

One of the units inside the ‘Lofts On Ludington’ in Escanaba

One of our guests is Matt Sviland, who along with his wife led the Lofts on Ludington mixed-use project in Escanaba that has since been selected as the 2012 winner of the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation. Other guests are Mark Schurman, director of corporation communications for office furniture company Herman Miller; and Fred Kent, founder of Project for Public Spaces and a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces. The Prosperity Agenda is a monthly radio show that challenges listeners to help make Michigan a better place to live, work and play by creating vibrant and prosperous local communities. It airs on News/Talk 760 WJR on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Our April show is scheduled to air at 7 pm Wednesday, April 24, 2013. You can also listen to it anytime at the League’s website or by subscribing to the FREE iTunes podcast. Learn more about the placemaking concept here as well as on this blog.

Spring in Sault Ste Marie

Tuesday, I am fortunate to be the keynote at the ninth annual Small Town and Rural Development Conference. Sometimes I think we place so much emphasis on community building in big cities that smaller places are often overlooked. However, most small towns deal with the same issues that larger ones do when it comes to matters like placemaking, entrepreneurial growth, talent retention, and sustainability. This conference puts a much-needed emphasis on these issues while adding a small town twist.

More information on small town development ideas is available on the League’s placemaking page. Check it out to learn more about what’s working in these places and what you can learn from their experiences.

Thursday’s Placemaking Leadership Council’s inaugural meeting in Detroit was excellent. Participating with leaders from 10 foreign countries sand 25 states was inspiring to say the least. There are a lot of really talented individuals working in this arena. The meeting continues tomorrow. More to come…

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We’re heading into a big week here in the state of Michigan, and only part of it is due to the University of Michigan’s appearance in the NCAA basketball championship game. OK, most of it is, but try to stick with me here while I make a few points.

Inside of the Michigan State Capital Building

On April 9-10 the Michigan Municipal League will hold its annual Capitol Conference in the city of Lansing. Elected and appointed officials from cities and villages throughout the state will gather together to discuss important public policy initiatives with state lawmakers. Transportation reform, public financing, and economic development are just a few of the topics that will be debated. Among the more thought-provoking proposals being considered by the League’s Board of Trustees are the concepts of regional infrastructure financing and utilizing Michigan’s depleted core cities as hotbeds for greater foreign immigration and economic opportunity. We’ll hear from Governor Rick Snyder and U.S. Asst. Sec. of Transportation John Porcari, too. It should be a stimulating few days. For those on Twitter you can follow along at #mmlconf.

On April 11-12 Project for Public Spaces will be hosting an inaugural meeting of the Placemaking Leadership Council in Detroit, the “North American capital of resilience”. About 250 participants from around the world will focus on creating a global agenda around Placemaking in cities using case studies and demonstration projects, publications, films, and social media as ways of demonstrating the true power of place. A follow-up council meeting is slated for later this year in Stockholm. I am pleased to be leading the first morning’s discussion on some of the efforts that we in Michigan have been spearheading. Quicken Loans CEO Dan Gilbert will also address the group on his monumental private sector driven approach to reimagining the public realm through entrepreneurship and community based economic development. You can follow the proceedings on Twitter at @PPS_Placemaking.

Inside of Detroit’s Compuware Building, site of the inaugural Placemaking Leadership Council Meeting

I will also be Tweeting from @DPGilmartin throughout the week. I expect some really poignant results from both events. Until then, I look forward to gaining some knowledge and sharing some ideas.

And, all together now… Go Blue!

DIA Inside/Out installation in Novi

Do you like the list? Did a favorite of yours get snubbed? Lists like this are fun and sure to draw some controversy. Check it out and let the arguments commence.

Come join Detroit’s best “pop-up” parade!

“Come purge the bad and rejoice the beginning of spring! March 24, 2013in the Cass Corridor, 1 p.m. Detroit · marchedunainrouge.com”

Check out my EoP post from last year on this awesome event, “La Marche du Nain Rouge -Or- Don’t Ask Permission When it Comes to Placemaking”.

2012 Image Predicts Detroit in 2013. Coincidence?