Earlier this winter, Pittsburgh played host to the Mayors Institute on City Design.  The institute organizes sessions where mayors engage leading design experts to find solutions to the most critical urban design challenges facing their cities.  I'll save more on the institute for another post.

Right now, I want to focus on the themes that emerged from their Pittsburgh session.  And, it sounds awfully similar to the message that the League has been preaching across the state about what its going to take to build vibrant places in the 21s century.  Things like community design, connectivity, sustainable development, collaboration and public/private partnerships.

The League, your League, is seen as a national leader in working with local officials and others who believe that "place" is the prime commodity in the 21st century and that only by investing in our communities will we be able to move our economy forward.  See what we're focusing on at our Center for 21st Century Communities project.

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

Over the course of the last couple of years, the League has been promoting the creation of jobs by one's and two's, in an effort to reclaim Michigan's entrepreneurial spirit.  So we're pleased to see the Governor promoting funding for entrepreneurial training. 

Of course only time will tell if this is a major shift in an economic development policy that has, for the most part, focused on big box manufacturing during the last several years or if we'll now see programs directed at growing jobs by 1's and 2's to provide more sustainabile job growth for communities.  

For the League's part, training programs for entrepreneurs is a good start, but what we need to do is train local officials in how to cultivate entrepreneurs.  Watch for future local official training opportunities from the League in entrepreneur development.  

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

There is a lot of discussion these days on what to do with older "1970's" type malls, so many of which are losing occupants due to the tough economy and the simple fact that people are going back to downtowns to shop.  Well here's an idea from Cleveland, where they've turned those empty spaces into something of a greenhouse. 

Perhaps its an idea whose time has come but not just in empty mall spaces but in those abandoned warehouses or factories that dot our communities all over this state.  Why not establish grown your own greenhouses for residents and agriculture firms alike. 

Wouldn't it be nice not to have to worry about where your fruits and vegetables come from?  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 Partnerships for Change Program is making available $250,000 in professional services and technical assistance grants through their sustainable communities program.  The grants will be awarded to groups of communities that have agreed to work together for change in their shared communities.

Special attention is being made to assist those projects that address sustainability such as preservation of critical natural resources, energy conservation, community asset inventories and improved economic viability.

The Partnerships for Change Sustainable Communities Program was developed by the League, the Land Information Access Association, and the Michigan Townships Association with assistance from the Michigan Association of Planning and Michigan State University Extension.

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