The National Association of Realtors® has found that the majority of Americans prefer living in mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods, “where shops, restaurants, and local businesses are within an easy stroll from their homes and their jobs are a short commute away,” according to the NAR’s newly released 2011 Community Preference Survey.

According to the survey, 56% of people in the U.S. prefer living in a “smart growth community,” and 43% opt for a “sprawl community.”

It seems that the cost and hassle of driving these days is impacting how people choose where to live. Most people would opt for smaller residences, if it means they can drive less, the survey found. This point is also made by Kaid Benfield, the director of Sustainable Communities & Smart Growth, in his blog post on the Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog “SWiTHBOARD.”

On the other hand, the many people who “prefer the sprawl community are motivate mostly by desire to live in single-family homes on larger lots,” according to the survey. And the privacy that single-family homes and larger lots provide appeals to many people. 

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info

Do you know a southeast Michigan leader who should be honored for championing regional cooperation that makes the region’s communities better places? The Shining Light Regional Cooperation Awards are looking for leaders from southeast Michigan’s seven counties – Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne – “who, in one way or another, have taken a leadership role in encouraging people and communities to work cooperatively to improve southeast Michigan,” according to the award’s website.

Any member of the public may nominate someone they admire for one of three Shining Light Awards. The Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership “recognizes an individual in the public spotlight who is taking risks and demonstrating courage to improve regional cooperation and understanding.” The Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” Award “recognizes an individual who may not have yet received the widespread recogition she or he deserves for longstanding efforts to further regional cooperation and understanding.” And finally, the Dave Bing Future Leader Award “recognizes a young adult who is involved with enhancing regional understanding and cooperation within our metropolitan community.”

The Shining Light Regional Cooperation Awards, which were created by the Detroit Free Press and Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC), will be held at the Ford Conference and Event Center in Dearborn on October 13, 2011, beginning at 8 a.m. You can make a reservation to attend the event beginning August 26.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info

The Detroit News announced today, "Moroun's company hires architectural firm to restore Michigan Central Station," a historic depot, "which has sat empty for the past 23 years and become the centerfold of Detroit ruin porn," reporter Jonathan Oosting writes. According to the article The Detroit International Bridge Company, owned by businessman Manuel "Matty" Moroun, has hired Quinn Evans Architects of Ann Arbor to "design a restoration plan for the windows and roof."

Although the depot might look likes it's falling down, it is actually "structurally sound." Elisabeth Knibbe of Quinn Evans Architects told the Windsor Star that the dilapidated building "doesn't really scare me. The bones of the building are solid and we can do something with it. There is a lot of potential there," she said. Moroun's son and vice chairman Matt Moroun thinks; "It is an important first step to helping return the building to its rightful place among the great Detroit landmarks."

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info

The annual National Main Streets Conference is quickly approaching. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is holding this year’s conference May 22-25, 2011 in Des Moines, Iowa. If you cannot make it to the big show in person, you can still be a "Virtual Attendee" on its website - which will soon feature live streams, tweets, and blogs.

Main Street programs exist across the U.S., which engage in “preservation-based economic development,” as well as small business growth and other issues that impact main streets and downtowns. The annual conference will include training, an expo, plenty of networking opportunities, and "mobil workshops that focus on revitalization in Des Moines and surrounding Main Street Iowa communities," according to online conference information. 

“In Des Moines we will focus on recruitment, retention, strengthening and supporting your local businesses; showcase how being green and open to all will help with these efforts; and, of course, learning about the Main Street Four Point Approach from the basics to the new, cutting-edge ideas that are being put in to practice in our Main Streets across the country.”

Two Michigan communities, Boyne City and Old Town Lansing, are in the running for “Great American Main Street Awards (GAMSA)" along with eight other semi-finalists. Winners will be announced at the conference. Read a previous 21c3 blog by Arnold Weinfeld about the honor.

You can read my previous blog about how the Michigan Main Street Program reports progress in Michigan. Or if you are in the mood for something light and delightfully cheeky, check out this viral video that Main Street Iowa made in commemoration of their 25th anniversary. 

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info