Restoring Prosperity

For background information about Michigan, click here to skip below to state info at bottom.

With coastline to rival Florida and California, Michigan has always flourished in all water-related industries, from commercial fishing to recreational activities. Michiganders are proud of the state’s natural beauty and history surrounding the state’s urban centers. Its four struggling older industrial cities— Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, and Saginaw— have been making strides toward transitioning from a predominantly automobile manufacturing economy to one that capitalizes on physical and cultural assets.

Among the state’s strengths, as described in the Brookings Institution’s report ‘ The Vital Center: A Federal-State Compact to Renew the Great Lakes Region,’ is Michigan’s multitude of higher education and research institutions. The Great Lakes states together educate 34 percent of the nation’s bachelor degree recipients. This represents an enormous opportunity and responsibility for Michigan to enhance its economy through research, development, and entrepreneurship in this knowledge-based tradition.

The Michigan Suburbs Alliance recently put out a best practices guide entitled ‘Redevelopment Ready Communities.’ Through a set of best practices and a certification system, RRC bolsters the competitive attractiveness of older suburbs by making their redevelopment processes more efficient and less complicated. In Michigan, the economies of city centers and the suburbs of their major metropolitan area are inextricably linked, making regional cooperation of utmost importance for success in a restoring prosperity initiative in the state.

Visit the Michigan Suburbs Alliance and other on-the-ground organizations to learn more about what is happening day-to-day in Michigan.

Campaign Partners:

Michigan Suburbs Alliance
Contact: Conan Smith, Executive director. conan (at) suburbsalliance.org