There's a better way

Now here comes Oakland County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson with an idea to help county employees save gas and money during this time of record high gas prices.... cut the work week! Being hailed as a trend-setting notion, its unclear if any other county is considering the same. Hey Brooks, I got a better way, a real trend-setting idea that could become part of your legacy -- how about calling for a regional public transportation system that will allow your employees to put their cars away and save some real money. You could even throw your support behind state legislation just introduced that would provide incentives for transportation orientend development. And its even been introduced by a state legislator from your own county! Come on Brooks, being an advocate and leader on regional transportation...its just sitting out there for a trend setter such as yourself.

Michigan residents call for investing in Michigan cities

The more I read about groups and people working to make Michigan a great place, the more I find out how many folks there are calling for investment in michigan cities. For instance, a recently released report by the Center for Michigan , based on 6,000 hours of conversation with Michigan residents over the past year, points to the need to revitalize and create vibrant cities where poeple want to work, live and play. People are getting that without great cities in our state, we won't be able to retain and attract young people and the jobs and businesses that come with them. More affirmation that state policy makers must turn their attention to ensuring that state economic development programs and incentives are geared toward Michigan's cities.

Working for positive change

There are many folks in michigan doing their best to make our state a better place. I've discussed a couple previously such as Michigan Future and the Michigan Municipal League. The municipal league, which works on behalf of hundreds of local communities across Michigan has begun a program of public policy forums. The forums are designed to engage local officials in the different strategies being used to create a sense of place in communities and how such activities lead to principles and practices which create vibrancy in our downtowns, neighborhoods and regions. The forums are gaining recognition as noted in this recently completed video. It these kinds of efforts by folks across our state that are going to pave the way for our economic revival.

The importance of transit

One thing is becoming increasingly clear as I study the compenents that help to make cities and regions across our country attractive places... the availability of varying types of transportation opportunities. Why? Because studies show that an increasingly mobile workforce is demanding a variety of transportation opportunities wherever they live work and play They just don't want to be limited to their car. A 2007 survey by the National Association of Realtors found that a whopping 75% of Americans believe that improving public transportation is a better long-term solution that just building more roads. Now I know that people are gonna say, "but I like the freedom a car gives me" and I agree - -having the ability to go where you want, when you want is freeing. But the fact is that when you look at those cities and regions around the country that are prospering, they all have some network of public transit to move people around as well. And I'm not just talking the obvious like New York or Boston or San Francisco or Chicago, I'm also talking about communities like San Jose, Minneapolis and Denver and Dallas. So this past week's announcement of legislation by State Representative Marie Donigan to allow for the creation of transit zones to encourage transit oriented development is very encouraging. The bill is supported by the Michigan Municipal League, a statewide association that represents cities, villages and communities across the state and has made the advancement of transportation opportunities a top priority. The introduction of such legislation should be added to the discussion already occuring in Detroit and SE Michigan about creating transit corridors along Woodward, US-23 and other areas.

Partnering for Progress

The only way Michigan will move its economy forward is if we're all working together. I read an op-ed the other day penned by the editor of a weekly newspaper in Livingston County that essentially said business would have to save us. Well, I'm here to tell you that it is not only the private sector, but non-profits, education and yes, even government that must work together to strengthen Michigan's economy. I've said previously, and you'll see me repeat this over and over... one of the ways to strengthen Michigan's economy is to invest in our cities, and downtowns. So it's a good thing to read that a number of non-profit groups who make it their business to work on creating great communities, like the Michigan Municipal League, are partnering with a state agency, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, to put on a conference dedicated to downtowns. As the Bay City Times notes, its exactly the kind of collaboration needed to move our state forward.

Rethinking

Now here comes Michigan's most trusted and well respected business publications, Crains, talking about the need to rethink what will drive our state's economy moving in to the future. The auto industry will remain in some form with us for years to come but the fact of the matter is that there are other industries that we'll have to build in order for our state to recover. While the Crains article notes that industries like computers and tourism hold promise so do others such life sciences and biotech. The one thing these have in common is young professionals, something our state is lacking in and something we certainly need to work on attracting. One of the ways we can attract young professionals is by making sure we have places they want to live in. And young professionals these days crave the vibe found in vibrant cities...communities with walkable downtowns, and amenities such as cultural centers, green spaces, restaurants and clubs to gather and network. One organization striving to make the case for investing in cities is the Michigan Municipal League. The League understands that the key to attracting young professionals and growing our economy is by working to create the kinds of communities these people are looking for.