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Michigan Prosperity Agenda: Placemaking is a vital part of making our state prosperous again – it is about creating communities that people love. It’s about turning “that community” into “my community.”

Program Explores How to Make a Better Michigan

radioshow On this month’s Prosperity Agenda radio show we discuss placemaking and economic development. 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 has aired on News/Talk 760 WJR since 2010.

The hour-long radio program is hosted by Dan Gilmartin, Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League (the League). The show is sponsored by the League and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

THIS MONTH’S SHOW airs at 7 p.m. Feb 26 on News/Talk 760 WJR, and you can also listen now by clicking the links below.Hear us talk about a new “PlacePlans” effort taking hold in communities throughout Michigan. Read more about the League’s vision for Michigan here and here.

View past radio shows here.

Listen to the full show: (37:51)

	Dan Gilmartin Dan Gilmartin, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League. - Dan Gilmartin explains this month’s show. (52 seconds)
	Kirk Pinho Kirk Pinho covers real estate for Crain’s Detroit Business. A Detroit area native, he is a graduate of Western Michigan University and the University of Alabama. He discusses his impressions of the real estate scene in southeast Michigan and trends he is seeing. He’ll also address placemaking initiatives he is seeing in Detroit. - Kirk discusses the improvement he’s seeing in Detroit. For example, there’s new construction happening in downtown Detroit for the first time since nearly a decade. He also talks about the new foreign investment happening in the Motor City. (7:08)
	Tom Ivacko Tom Ivacko is Manager of the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP). He also oversees the Michigan Public Policy Survey Program and recently conducted a poll on placemaking in Michigan. He will discuss communities making these initiatives an economic development strategy and how placemaking attracts entrepreneurs. - Tom explains what placemaking is and how more communities are embracing it as an economic development tool. In a 2009 UM survey, about 21 percent were pursuing placemaking and in 2013, 34 percent said they were pursuing it. That’s 62 percent growth in four years. (9:50)
	Mark Nickita Mark Nickita is a city commissioner and the former mayor of Birmingham. He also co-founded the award-winning design firm Archive Design Studio. His studio was inspired by a goal of developing urban centers as more people friendly environments and has been involved in placemaking projects all over the world. - Mark discusses how it’s an exciting time to be an elected official and a designer in the Detroit area. “I’m very optimistic about the things going on. We’re finding ways to do things differently and in many ways it’s made us come back and check our priorities and identify what we’re really about.” (9:47)
	Peter Auger Peter Auger is Auburn Hills City Manager and was recently named president of the Michigan Local Government Management Association. Auburn Hills has been making major improvements to their downtown area for many years. He mentions that these efforts are in place not only to attract young talent and entrepreneurs, but also aging Baby Boomers. - Pete tells how Auburn Hills never really had a downtown, but it does now. He discusses what went into creating a downtown over the last 10-plus years and creating a community identity and sense of place. (10:12)