Communities from across the state were given the opportunity to spotlight projects at the recently held Emerging Cities Summit.  Sponsored by MSHDA with the League as co-sponsor, the summit was designed to celebrate some of the work going on in those communities assisted through the “Cities of Promise” and “Cool Cities” programs. Several communities were given the chance to showcase projects and ongoing work taking place to transform these cities into vibrant places.

From Flint's first market and deli downtown in over 30 years to Muskegon Heights Mona Lake Project, the event showed once again that our cities will be the places where Michigan's economic revival begins.

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

Do you know what your walk score is?  If you haven't checked it out yet, why not do it now!  Go to www.walkscore.com to find out how walkable your neighborhood is.  Not only does it give you your score out of a possible 100 points (0 meaning you are totally car-dependent to 100 being the most walkable), but it also lists the mileage to restaurants, shopping, schools, coffee shops, parks and other points of interest nearby, generally within a distance of one-quarter mile to one mile from your home.  If you score 70 or over, that indicates that you can possibly get by without a car.  You can now find out your transit score as well.   And, there is a real economic boost in having a high walk score, with a recent report showing a direct correlation between your walk score and the value of your home.  The higher the score, the higher the value. 

As part of our Center for 21st Century Communities, one of our 8 assets is physical design and walkability.  We emphasize the importance of designing communities that allow people to socially connect with each other and get from point A to point B without always relying on the car.  Walkable communities are not only greener, but enhance our quality of life as well.  If we are going to be competitive in a global economy, then we have to create the type of communities that will attract people of all ages.  This is a great tool to measure how we are doing! 

Colleen Layton is Director of Policy Development at the Michigan Municipal League.  She can be reached at 734-669-6320 or clayton@mml.org

I found a lot of interesting articles and blogs about how state, local and federal government officials utilize the internet, social networking, social media, and the latest e-technologies, while perusing www.govtech.com. Contributors to Government Technology’s family of magazines and website hit on a range of ways Web 2.0 is used to network, share information, ensure public safety, and stimulate the economy, as well as how IT relates to transit, green initiatives, and other topics we like to blog about here on The Center for 21st Century Communities (21c3)’s website. 

www.govtech.com articles and blogs cover stories, trends, and accomplishments happening all over the country. You’ll find some articles about Michigan, as well as stories about what is happening in other places. Staff writer Russell Nichols recently reported, “California to Deploy Nation’s First Mass Mobile Alert System,” posted on August 24th, 2010. “The California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) and Sprint announced Tuesday, Aug. 24, plans to deploy the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), a public safety tool that uses technology to deliver warnings and safety information via text alerts to wireless phones in specified areas. The first CMAS pilot program will begin in San Diego County this fall, in partnership with the county's Office of Emergency Services (OES),” according to the article. Jim Stanton’s www.digitalcommunitiesblogs.com blog, called “Web 2.0 Convergence” features a recent piece, “The YouTube Revolution is With Us,” posted on June 18. It includes some interesting facts that got me thinking about how governments can take a few lessons from pop culture, when it comes to taking advantage of widely used social media like YouTube.

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

Updated information re:  'Local Energy Solutions' Workshop is provided below. The workshop has been designed for Michigan communities and sponsored by Clean Energy Coalition with support from DELEG, Michigan Municipal League, WARM Training & Michigan Energy Options.  The workshop is available to all Michigan communities with special reduced pricing for EECBG non-entitlement communities.

Tuesday, September 28 - 9am-4pm

Weber's Inn - Ann Arbor (map)

Non-entitlement municipalities (special pricing): Secure online registration is available here!

Others: Secure online registration is available here!

The EECBG program is a kick-off for many of Michigan's communities toward our long-term goal of boosting our local and regional economies through energy efficiency and conservation projects. As a part of the EECBG program, this workshop will share 'local energy solutions' including renewable energy, funding, strategies, transportation & food, and State resources. There will also be lots of time for questions and a workshop exercise to share innovative ideas for community outreach. Join us and you will be able to better position your community to make investments in future energy savings, simplify your strategies and implementation plans, and have the opportunity to network with other Michigan municipalities and organizations pursuing energy efficiency and conservation projects.

Keynote Speaker:

Pat Murphy, Executive Director of Community Solutions & author of Plan C: Community Survival Strategies

Mr. Murphy defines a community as ‘a few thousand’ people living within an area of ‘a few square miles’ …  such as a neighborhood, village or district. His strategy identifies ‘small community’ as the solution – one that optimizes both physical and human resources.