Bridge Michigan’s monthly Lunch Break series returned Wednesday with a discussion about how cities and regions are working to build attractive communities and reverse Michigan’s stagnant population.

If you missed this live Zoom event, you can watch it on-demand below. The event also included a lively discussion shared via the Zoom chat feature. To read a transcript of the chat, click here.

The discussion focused on the reasons why population growth is needed to improve quality of life, communities’ efforts to attract young residents, the prospects of Michigan as a climate haven and barriers to growth like weather and income inequity.

Guest panelists included Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP, Rachel Gray, executive director of Hello West Michigan and Joshua Sirefman, CEO of Michigan Central. Bridge Michigan Business Editor Paula Gardner moderated the discussion.

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Bridge’s Lunch Break monthly series focuses on timely topics facing our state. Previous discussions have included examinations of efforts to educate students for careers in Michigan, solutions to gun violence in Michigan, November 2022’s general election results, youth mental health in Michigan and Michigan’s new redistricting maps.

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Become a Bridge Club member today to regularly receive advance notification of what our nonprofit newsroom is planning and receive member-exclusive benefits — such as free Bridge event tickets, copies of our bimonthly Bridge Culture Club selections, and more. Member support allows us to offer engagement opportunities like this Lunch Break series.  

To stay up-to-date on upcoming events and Bridge Michigan’s business and economic reporting, sign up for Bridge Michigan’s Business Watch newsletter.

Our next Lunch Break event will take place in August after a break in July. An announcement about the topic and time is coming soon.

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