Congratulations to the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments for receiving a 2012 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation for the Northern Michigan Community Placemaking Guidebook.

The guidebook was released earlier this year to provide information and resources to help communities implement placemaking. It includes case studies of placemaking projects in six Northern Michigan communities.

The NWMCOG is also a facilitator for the Grand Vision Project in Northwest Michigan. 

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

The US EPA recently announced a new set of technical assistance tools available through the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program. The next round of applications will be accepted starting September 24. EPA is providing webinars 9/21 and 9/27 for communities interested in learning more.

Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities provides quick, targeted technical assistance to selected local and/or tribal governments using a variety of tools that have demonstrated results and widespread application. The purpose of delivering these tools is to stimulate a discussion about growth and development and strengthen local capacity to implement sustainable approaches.

In 2013, EPA will select up to 44 communities for assistance. Each technical assistance project in a community will include:

• Public engagement, a one-day workshop that is open to the public.
• Direct consultation with relevant decision-makers.
• A memo outlining specific steps the community could take to implement the ideas generated during the site visit.

Technical assistance will be delivered by EPA staff and by four nonprofit organizations with extensive expertise in sustainable communities. These organizations—Forterra, Global Green USA, Project for Public Spaces, and Smart Growth America—have received grants from EPA to offer assistance using tools they have chosen.

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

The City of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan's Business School will host the Michigan Green Communities Leadership Academy July 16 & 17. The Academy, facilitated by the Institute for Sustainable Communities and sponsored by the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Ann Arbor SPARK, will be an opportunity for local government leaders and their regional partners to learn and develop strategies to further green economic development. 18 cities, from Marquette to Detroit, are sending teams of three or four individuals to participate in the event. Those teams will learn about sustainability initiatives in Michigan and across the country that can be adapted and implemented locally. They will learn valuable strategies for engaging the public and communicating about the economic and community benefits of sustainability. And they will build leadership capacity and skills to advance sustainability initiatives together when they return home. 

The Michigan Green Communities network is dedicated to bringing unique peer-learning and technical assistance opportunities, such as this Leadership Academy, to its members. Mark your calendars now for the third annual Green Communities conference November 2 in Lansing. To join the network, contact Laura Matson.

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

The third annual Michigan Green Communities conference is scheduled for November 2, 2012, at the Michigan Municipal League's Capital Office in Lansing. Staff and elected/appointed officials from local government, colleges and universities, or other organizations partnering with local government are invited to submit a proposal to present at the conference. Initial presentations to the entire audience of 75 will last 10 minutes. Presenters will then have the opportunity to lead break-out discussion sessions with 10-30 attendees to continue a more in-depth conversation about the presentation topic. Submit your proposal here by July 27.

Contact Laura Matson with the City of Ann Arbor with any questions. Visit the Green Communities webpage for presentations and videos from the previous two conferences.