Congrats to Marquette
Congratulations to Marquette, which was just voted the fan favorite of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Distinctive Destinations for 2010.
Blog
Leader Board to be Posted Soon
We're working on getting a leader board for the poster contest up and running. Check back soon to see if your favorite poster is in the lead.
Celebrating Michigan: 2010 Michigan Winter Beer Festival
Michigan is one of America's top destinations for craft beer and if you need proof just head to Grand Rapids this Saturday. Nearly 50 craft brewers—including 35 Michigan-owned and operated microbreweries and brewpubs—will gather in Grand Rapids to take part in the fifth-annual Michigan Winter Beer Festival. Beer enthusiast will be able to sample 300-plus beers outdoors at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park just north of the city.
Getting Back to Basics; What Does That Actually Mean?
There is a growing sentiment in Michigan and across the nation that “government needs to get back to basics.” Which raises an interesting question: are we even currently doing the basics? Since when are decent roads and libraries and parks not basics? These government services have been staples of our society going back to a time when most people could tell you where they were when they heard Lincoln was shot. Yet we are allowing these key institutions of our society to decay right before our eyes.
Have Your Say In How We View Michigan’s Future
We asked artists and designers to come up with creative ways to depict the actions and assets that would create more livable and desirable communities and help turn out Michigan's fortunes. They responded with over 300 submissions. With the help of the Detroit Institute of Art we've come up with 60 finalists but we need your help to name the winner.
In Michigan, Is There Life After the Big 3?
Pete Engardio of the NY Times explores companies diversifying and replacing auto jobs with positions in defense, aerospace, and green technologies.
Completing Streets Across Michigan
A growing initiative to “Complete Streets” nationwide has Michigan thinking about the value of adopting pedestrian and bicycle-friendly policies and improving the infrastructure for non-motorized transportation. Lansing joined the fray of cities nationwide that have adopted Complete Streets non-motorized network ordinances, and this month they will be the first city in Michigan to present a draft of a Complete Streets network plan. Meanwhile legislators at the Capitol are giving the issue more consideration as they examine the role the state plays in creating desirable communities through transportation policies.
Celebrate Fat Tuesday Like Nowhere Else: Downtown Hamtramck
You don’t need to be in New Orleans to celebrate Fat Tuesday in style; in fact, you can celebrate the “Polish Mardi Gras” all over Michigan, but no place tops downtown Hamtramck. In celebration of Paczki Day, thousands will converge on Hamtramck—Michigan’s most diverse city—to kick of a week of Polish food and music and both family-friendly and less than family-friendly entertainment.
VOTE MARQUETTE: Support a Fellow Michigan City That is Doing Great Things
Marquette has been named by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the 12 most Distinctive Destinations in America in 2010. Join us and Vote Marquette and show the rest of the nation that Michigan has some great cities full of character and charm and where historic preservation and uniqueness are appreciated.
Blueprint America: Beyond the Motor City
This is a reminder Blueprint America: Beyond the Motor City debuts nationally this February 8 at 10pm on PBS. Watch the trailer here.
Michigan’s High-Speed Punch to the Gut and What You Can Do About It
Last week the Obama administration finally announced the recepients of the stimulus package's high-speed rail projects and despite considerable rhetoric and promises, Michigan was largely ignored. While it was certainly a disappointment it is not the end of a greater push to bring Michigan into a new regional transportation network.
Winter Communities Show Cold Weather Can Be Cool
Plunging temperatures, gray skies and long nights don't mean we need to hurry indoors until springtime. Many cities around the world now offer inspiring examples of how creative placemaking allows people to enjoy public spaces and lively community streets throughout the winter. From Copenhagen to Quebec City to New York, people are flocking to outdoor markets and festivals.
It’s Vital to Our Future . . . Even Though You May Not Use It
Japanese-esque bullet trains aren't exactly right around the corner but in the past month some interesting and encouraging developments transpired in the ongoing saga that is mass transit in Michigan. Why should you care? Well, transit by no means is a panacea to all of what ails Michigan, but it is an essential tool to creating the strong urban cores that Michigan lacks.
Reminding Ourselves Why Our Commercial Centers Matter
As long as Michigan fails to offer vibrant downtowns or other traditional commercial districts with distinct experiences we'll struggle to appeal to a significant segment of the mobile work force and more importantly we’ll continue to shortchange ourselves both economically and in terms of quality of life
Tell Us Your Story; You May be Featured on WJR
Starting in a few weeks there is going to be a monthly radio show on WJR 760 Am radio dedicated to rethinking the role of Michigan's cities and their importance to our economic future. Let's Save Michigan has been asked to help them fill a regular segment on the show by highlighting individuals and organizations working to recreate Michigan's cities. Help us by telling us your story!
Resolving to Make Michigan’s 2010 Better than its 2009
A couple painful truths; things could have gone better for Michigan in 2009 and we're a week in to 2010 and you've probably already abandoned your New Year's resolution. To those two points here are some real personal actions we can all take in 2010 to make things better for our communities and the state we all love so much.
MAKING MICHIGAN: The Dakota Inn Rathskeller
For our on-going Making Michigan series, a friend of ours submitted one of her favorite places, Detroit's Dakota Inn. The Dakota Inn Rathskeller is a German beer hall family owned since 1933. Opened by Karl Kurz, a worker at Ford's Highland Park factory, it has been for generations a venue for merriment and German sing-alongs and an anchor institution in a neighborhood that has seen better days.
Tis the Season to Explore Your City
A call to action this last weekend before Christmas: Avoid the insanity of the malls and visit your local downtown or main street. It'll help your community and may just reaffirm your faith in humanity.
MAKING MICHIGAN: Ann Arbor’s 826michigan and the Robot Supply & Repair
Ann Arbor non-profit 826michigan is ready for the season with a zany holiday window display and plans for a big New Years bash. The organization provides elementary through high school students with after school tutoring sessions, writing workshops and additional educational programming, and their fundraising events have a reputation for being unique and inventive.
Not to Sound Like a Snob But Where You Work Matters
The general public needs to start questioning Lansing's economic development efforts. As in why do we subsidize the construction of fake main streets while real ones languish?
