Michigan needs more than fixing the roads
If there is one issue that both Michigan candidates for governor seem to agree on it is that fixing the roads is a top priority. Good news in a state that for a decade or more let its 20th Century…
Placemaking lessons from Ford and Minneapolis
The New York Times recently wrote about Ford's purchase of the long-abandoned Detroit train station. The article's subtitle is what matters: By renovating a symbol of the city’s decline, the company hopes to create a magnet for the talent needed to…
Talent and placemaking go hand in hand in the Twin Cities
When Bart Carrigan moved from East Lansing to Minneapolis to manage his Michigan-based employer’s newly opened restaurant, he was struck by the city’s many amenities. “I love the environment, and there are a ton of outdoor activities all year round,”…
Metro Minneapolis business leaders promote an economy that works for everyone
Most, if not all, major metropolitan areas have business organizations that promote the economic well being of their regions. But the Itasca Project serving Minnesota’s Twin Cities is different from just about any such organization in the country. This group…
In Minneapolis, strong regional collaboration is key to success
Regional government is an elusive goal in many metropolitan areas. Look no further than metro Detroit, where several local suburban leaders are trying to kill a Regional Transit Authority that took decades to create. But regional collaboration is on steroids…
Our new metro Minneapolis case study
Last year we published our first-ever state policy recommendations. Our motivation for doing so is a sense of urgency that across the political spectrum we need a different set of policy options. Ideas not about how we can turn the clock…
A vibrant central city is vital to regional prosperity
Updated data from Joe Cortright of Impressa on the continuation of young professionals choosing to live in central cities. Cortright, using American Community Survey data, looks at the change in the number of 25-34 year olds with a four-year degree…
We need regional transit to grow our economy. It shouldn’t be that controversial
A few weeks ago, Amazon announced that neither of Michigan’s major metros, Detroit and Grand Rapids, are finalists for the location of HQ2. Lou wrote about why we at Michigan Future were not at all surprised. For years, MFI has…
Regional prosperity increasingly linked to four-year degrees
In my last post we look at the growing wage premium for those who have a four-year degree or more. Debunking the conventional wisdom that our kids are now better off foregoing a four-year degree to go into the skilled/professional…
Macomb leverages water and parks to draw talent
Close your eyes and think of Macomb County, Michigan. What comes to mind? Perhaps you think of vast stretches of industrial shops and auto plants, bedroom communities or even influential swing voters. But now county leaders are banking on a…