Is It A Good Place?-Smart Growth, say top executives, is crucial to Michigan’s competitiveness

Grand Rapids, MI — In perhaps the most visible evidence yet that curbing sprawl and investing in cities is considered a mainstream idea in Michigan, the state Chamber of Commerce and its local partners held a two-day conference here last month that focused on the link between thriving metropolitan centers and a secure economy.

By Andy Guy
Great Lakes Bulletin News Service

In essence, said the top executive at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and other prominent business specialists, a state’s economic competitiveness is based on its quality of life. In order for Michigan to strengthen its ability to compete with other states — especially those in New England, the Upper Great Lakes, and the Pacific Northwest — Michigan must improve its standing as a vibrant place to live, work, and play.

"Attracting a skilled workforce is a real challenge," said Jim Barrett, president and chief executive officer of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. "People want access to good public services at a reasonable price, quality K-12 education, safety, and recreational opportunity. So if you can’t say that places like metropolitan Grand Rapids, Detroit, or northern Michigan offer a good lifestyle, frankly, you can’t attract the employees necessary to compete in the international market. Business is keenly aware of quality of life issues."

Speakers at the annual Future Forum conference, sponsored by a coalition of the state’s local chambers of commerce, called on policy makers to reverse urban abandonment by eliminating taxpayer funded subsidies for sprawl, coordinating land development planning between cities and neighboring communities, and fixing up existing public institutions, streets, and parks.

The same call to arms is echoed by one of the major party Michigan gubernatorial candidates, who has seized on improving the quality of life in Michigan as the basis for sustaining the state’s economy. Democrat Jennifer Granholm issued a detailed proposal earlier this year that calls for investing in urban neighborhoods, improving public transit, stepping up environmental enforcement, conserving farmland, and curbing sprawl.

Republican Dick Posthumus has avoided any substantive discussion about curbing sprawl and has publicly expressed concerns about the affect of new land use restrictions on private property rights. Mr. Posthumus has, however, proposed strengthening state law to safeguard the quality and quantity of Michigan’s fresh water.

Population trends suggest Michigan cities may be losing the competition for new talent because they do not have the advantage of mass transit options, like those offered by San Francisco, or welcoming waterfront walks, like the one in Baltimore. The 2000 Census revealed that 25 to 34 year olds — a coveted demographic in the new economy workforce that gravitates toward attractive cities ripe with jobs — are leaving Michigan at a rate twice the national average. The trend, Mr. Barrett said, is one reason why restoring and maintaining Michigan’s neglected urban areas has become a top priority for people across the political spectrum.

What’s needed, conference presenters said, is a coherent policy for reviving the state’s cities. The need is so significant that the state’s business community has joined religious, environmental, and social interests groups in calling for stronger metropolitan regions. Public opinion polls also confirm that a majority of citizens believe that Michigan cities are in rough shape and improving their condition should be a focus for state and local leaders.

That is a tall order. Michigan has lacked an urban policy for half a century and a question lingers as concerned voters prepare to elect a new governor: Is either of the major party candidates resolved to bring progressive leadership to bear on Michigan’s glaringly obvious, complex, and increasingly costly urban dilemma? The answer, experts contend, will be found in nothing less than policy initiatives that overhaul the way state and local governments conduct business.

Despite all its natural beauty, Michigan harbors some of the nation’s most neglected urban environments. Rivers in Jackson and other south central cities flow through inaccessible concrete chutes. Vacant lots in Detroit are marred by collapsed buildings and rubble piles. And dilapidated inner-city schools in Grand Rapids and other cities close their doors while sparkling new suburban facilities throw out the welcome mat.

"The condition of Michigan’s cities is a direct reflection of the state’s inability to conceive and sustain an effective urban policy agenda that creates healthy human settlements," said Rex LaMore, a professor of urban planning at Michigan State University and state director of the Community and Economic Development program at the university’s Center for Urban Affairs. "We have no design plan for our cities."

To some extent, the state of Michigan’s cities has become an issue in the 2002 Michigan gubernatorial campaign. Democrat Jim Blanchard was the first candidate to promote a new vision for Michigan cities. Mr. Blanchard said the state will fail to retain talented workers and compete successfully in the global marketplace unless its metropolitan areas rein in sprawl, eliminate cultural barriers, expand public transportation choices, and upgrade fundamental services such as streets, sewers, and schools. (See: A Rare Call For Stronger Cities http://www.mlui.org/projects/growthmanagement/general/andyblanchard.asp)

The Blanchard campaign, however, did not survive the August primary. But the Future Forum demonstrated that Mr. Blanchard’s basic ideas about expanding economic opportunities through urban revitalization continue to resonate with important constituencies, especially business leaders.

Democrat Jennifer Granholm, who is leading her Republican opponent by 12 points in the most recent polls, picked up the theme as well. She says that Michigan’s cities must be vibrant centers for homes, jobs, and culture. Her urban plan includes tearing down abandoned buildings to reinvigorate inner-city real estate markets, establishing a special fund to provide loans for redevelopment in targeted urban areas, expanding public transit, and giving priority to the repair of existing roads and sewer systems. Ms. Granholm was invited to the Future Forum but did not attend.

http://www.mlui.org/projects/growthmanagement/sprawl/goodplace.asp