Category Archives: economic development

Problems with Charter Townships

Posted on October 17, 2019 by

If you are not from Michigan you may have never heard of the term “charter township.” They are different from standard “general law” townships, in that: “Charter township status is a special township classification created by the Michigan Legislature in … Continue reading →

Posted in cities, civics, commerce, demographics, diversity, economic development, geography, government, history, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, planning, racism, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, States, Statistics, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Some Like It Hot” – Cities/towns built around natural hot springs

Posted on October 8, 2019 by

  The cities and towns listed below from around the globe are located amidst, around, or near natural hot springs. As a result, many of them have become centers for health spas, retreats, and environmental tourism. Unlike their rural counterparts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative energy, Canada, cities, civics, commerce, culture, economic development, energy, entertainment, environment, geography, Geology, health, Health care, history, Housing, humanity, infrastructure, land use, Mexico, nature, place names, planning, pollution, recreation, spatial design, topography, tourism, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Albuquerque

Posted on September 18, 2019 by

We have been enjoying an awesome trip to New Mexico. This post about Albuquerque is the first of several that will be written about the state, is residents, and its communities. Paz! The preservation and protection of the original 1706 … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, aviation, bicycling, bike sharing, Biking, Bus transportation, cities, civics, colleges, commerce, Cuisine, culture, density, diversity, downtown, economic development, entertainment, fun, geography, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, Passenger rail, placemaking, planning, rail, Railroads, spatial design, sprawl, third places, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Temples of Jazz – The Theatres

Posted on September 11, 2019 by

  This is the second blogpost of our series on the Temples of Jazz. The initial post was dedicated to the ballrooms and dance halls. This one will cover those theatres(ers) where jazz musicians performed during the Jazz Age, while … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cities, Communications, culture, diversity, economic development, entertainment, geography, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, music, placemaking, Radio, songs, theaters, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Thriving and Inclusive First-Ring/Inner Suburbs

Posted on September 5, 2019 by

As metropolitan areas grow in population or enlarge their land area by sprawl, gradually, the innermost or first-ring suburbs start to experience some of the same problems that the core city have found challenging. This is particularly true in regions … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, architecture, art, bicycling, cities, civics, colleges, commerce, culture, density, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, fun, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, Housing, human rights, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, Passenger rail, placemaking, planning, racism, revitalization, Science, shopping, skylines, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, third places, tourism, traffic, transit, urban planning, walking, zoning | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Orlando/Winter Park

Posted on September 3, 2019 by

In terms of diversity and inclusiveness, the Orlando region of today is much improved compared to the Orlando of 50 years ago. Unlike much of the Orlando area, Winter Park has successfully maintained/employed new urbanism, walkability, and traffic calming techniques … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, Cars, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, commerce, culture, downtown, economic development, entertainment, geography, government, historic preservation, history, human rights, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, new urbanism, pictures, placemaking, planning, skylines, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, third places, tourism, traffic, transportation, Travel, urban planning, walking, weather | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Traverse City

Posted on August 25, 2019 by

Now that we have lived in Traverse City for almost four years, it is time to list the ten top planning lessons learned from our hometown. Sometimes, evaluation of the places closest to you are the toughest. Smaller cities and … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, adaptive reuse, Advocacy, air travel, branding, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Communications, culture, demographics, diversity, downtown, economic development, education, entertainment, environment, family, gay rights, geography, government, health, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, human rights, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, placemaking, planning, politics, poverty, racism, Sexism, social equity, spatial design, sustainability, third places, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, volunteerism, Welcome | 6 Comments

Geography of the Jazz Age in North America

Posted on August 5, 2019 by

The Jazz Age represented the musical form’s peak period of popularity between 1920 and 1960. While New Orleans, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York were and remain the preeminent epicenters of jazz, in many other cities across the country, vibrant … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cities, Communications, culture, diversity, economic development, entertainment, gentrification, geography, government, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, land use, Maps, music, music reviews, North America, placemaking, planning, politics, racism, Radio, social equity, songs, theaters, third places, tourism, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ten Planning Lessons from Detroit’s Corktown Neighborhood

Posted on July 29, 2019 by

Some planning lessons learned from one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of Detroit. A city’s oldest neighborhood can also be a leader in its revival. The historic site of a former major league stadium (Tiger Stadium) can enjoy a … Continue reading →

Posted in adaptive reuse, architecture, art, branding, business, cities, civics, culture, economic development, economic gardening, education, fun, geography, historic preservation, history, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, politics, revitalization, Small business, spatial design, sports, third places, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Crafting a Perfect Brewery Name, Logo, and Slogan

Posted on July 24, 2019 by

Favorite craft brewery names/logos/slogans and why they are so good: *BEST NAME: Stormcloud Brewing of Frankfort, MI – This is my all time favorite name for a brewery and they have a great logo, as well.  If you’ve ever seen a fierce … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, beer, branding, brewpubs, business, Canada, cities, commerce, Communications, consumerism, Cuisine, culture, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, geography, historic preservation, history, land use, marketing, place names, placemaking, planning, product design, third places, tourism, Trade, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment