Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction is hosting the "Built Environment Showcase - Today and Tomorrow" on Thursday, October 25th in East Lansing.

This event is designed to bring together the many industries and professions that create the built environment. The "built environment" is used to refer to that sector of our economy that works to provide settings for human activity, including buildings, parks, green space, neighborhoods, cities, and supporting infrastructure.  Both the private and public sector have direct impacts on this sector, providing jobs and generating direct economic impact.

The purpose of the BESTT event is to showcase the impact of this sector, provide opportunity for interaction and explore new public/private partnerships.

The event will feature a day-long exhibition as well as presentations on the impact of placemaking on the built environment and a panel discussion. The event is free and open.  For more information and to register, visit the BESTT website.

Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304.

Consumers Energy has launched a safety campaign to make the public aware of the many natural gas pipelines that exist in Michigan communities. Recognizing the importance of this effort, the Michigan Municipal League is helping Consumers Energy spread the word about this campaign.

Because League members and other public officials have authority over land, streets or roads along a Consumers Energy natural gas pipeline, it is very important that they are aware of Consumers Energy’s continuing efforts to keep Michigan communities safe and secure. Your awareness of these pipelines and any unusual activity around them can help Consumers Energy maintain the safety and security in your community. The tips at the Consumers Energy post here provide guidance on how to manage activity around our pipelines, the properties of natural gas and how to determine if there is a leak. These tips are also available as a downloadable brochure.

Go here for more information about the Consumers Energy Natural Gas Pipeline Safety program.

After a record-setting spring and summer, with temperatures soaring, community leaders may be looking for constructive initiatives they can undertake to help residents cope with and adapt to extreme heat. Georgetown University recently released a guide targeted specifically for local governments titled "Adapting to Urban Heat". This guide includes a number of low-cost policy options available, provides criteria to help communities decide which options to pursue, and documents results with case studies from around the country.

For more tips about greening your community, visit our Green Communities page.

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him via email or Twitter.

Michigan local governments have a new tool to earn recognition for and measure their progress in implementing energy, economic development and environmental improvements. The updated Michigan Green Communities Challenge uses a rating system to recognize sustainability accomplishments and serves as a guide for communities looking to learn from their peers. Participation is free and open to all local governments in Michigan.

Participating communities earn points for their green initiatives and bonus points for reporting quantitative data. Top achievers will receive emblems to display on their website and promotional documents and a customized press release from the network. All participating communities will be recognized at the third annual Michigan Green Communities conference Friday, November 2 at the Michigan Municipal League’s Lansing office. Register now for the conference, free of charge, at http://mml.org/green/events.php.

To coincide with the launch of the Challenge, Michigan Green Communities will be offering a series of workshops to help local government staff and officials become familiar with the reporting mechanism, an online-based checklist. These workshops should provide ample time for an individual to complete the checklist and Green Communities network members and supporting staff will be present as technical advisors. Essentially, we want these workshops to make it as easy as possible for communities to participate in the Challenge, because the larger we grow, the more opportunities emerge for your community to enhance its sustainability practices.

Workshops are free and open to any local government staff or official. We will be offering workshops September 17 in Farmington Hills, September 24 in Saginaw and September 28 in Grand Rapids. We are also planning additional workshops, as well as a webinar, for the fall. RSVP for a workshop by email here.

September 17 Workshop, 1-4pm

31555 W. Eleven Mile Road

Farmington Hills, MI

September 24 Workshop, 8:30am-2pm

Curtiss Hall

Saginaw Valley State University Main Campus

September 28 Workshop, 1-4pm

DeVos Place

303 Monroe Ave NW

Grand Rapids, MI

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator for the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him via email or Twitter.