When Chattanooga made the national news one evening in 1969, it wasn’t for a good reason. Air pollution had won the Tennessee industrial center the federal designation of being the dirtiest city in America. It was “a real wakeup call,” said Mayor Ron Littlefield. And “the city and the county and the region, decided when […]
Rust and the rest: Reinventing cities
Posted inBusiness Watch
Double-down on strengths, urban report advises Michigan
Revitalizing Michigan’s cities and urban areas doesn’t begin and end at their borders. Michigan needs to build off the strengths and potential of its metropolitan areas and employ regional strategies, accompanied by strategic urban focus, suggests a new report commissioned by the statewide CEO group Business Leaders for Michigan. The report, prepared by Lansing-based Public […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Urban chief outlines new normal for cities
Harvey Hollins III is the director of the Michigan Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives and is a principal adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder on urban economic development. He is a loaned executive through the Council of Michigan Foundations, and his salary is supported by individual foundations through the council. Bridge spoke with Hollins in […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Truth Squad tackles presidential primary ads
Leading up to what could prove a pivotal Michigan Republican presidential primary, the Michigan Truth Squad, another project of the Center for Michigan, is hard at work assessing the claims in various campaign ads and materials from the leading candidates and their political allies. See what fouls have been called on the bids by Mitt […]
Posted inPhil's Column
A plan to curb carp, before it's too late
Since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, the Great Lakes have been locked in an unhealthy marriage with the Atlantic Ocean and the rest of the world. Before then, the Great Lakes had evolved over the millennia their own ecosystem, physically separated from invasion by non-native species. But once oceangoing freighters could take on […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Knowledge … shall always bear witness like a clarion to its creator” — Leonardo Da Vinci. * The Michigan Campaign Finance Network reports a record year for lobbyist spending inLansingin 2011. The $35.3 million spent is more than the state general fund budget this year for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs ($33 million): […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Guest column: Making good on 'Michigan 3.0'
By Jennifer Goulet/ArtServe Michigan On Feb. 9, important steps affirming the significance of arts and culture to Michigan’s economy, communities and the lives of its citizens were set in motion. For the first time in more than a decade, our state is poised to reinvest in its rich creative resources. Viewed as luxury in tight […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Smart, not tough: Reconsidering juvenile justice
As he looked around at the mix of politicians and social activists about to announce their support for reducing the number of people in Ohio’s prisons, Mike Brickner was struck by a revelation. He and other officials of the American Civil Liberties Union Ohio chapter had found common ground with politicians spanning the entire political […]
Posted inMichigan Government
With a sober eye, a conservative reconsiders
Craig DeRoche concedes there were times during his six years in the Michigan Legislature, including his years as speaker of the House, that he wanted to speak out against the conventional wisdom that sending more people to prison was the proper response to crime. But he was worried it might prompt questions of why he, […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Riverwalk rolling for a new Detroit
Faye Nelson’s office on the 17th floor of the GM Renaissance Center provides a panoramic view of the Detroit River and a daily reminder that the Motor City — despite its problems — is still capable of grand achievements. The proof lies in the Detroit Riverwalk, a sprawling walkway and bike path that transformed the […]
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