Planning Commissioners Journal

Get on Board Again -- Elaine Cogan's Popular Booklet for Planning Board Members Now Available to Download

From Planning Comm'rs Journal Editor Wayne Senville: Over the past two months, we've had a number of requests for Elaine Cogan's Now that You're on Board: How to Survive ... and Thrive ... as a Planning Commissioner. As some of you may know, we recently sold the last of our stock of Cogan's 52 page booklet. Given the very high cost of reprinting the booklet, we've decided to make it available as a high quality pdf, at a substantially reduced price. In Now that You're on Board, Elaine Cogan -- through a series of 25 practical tips illustrated by Marc Hughes -- shows both new and old planning commissioners how they can not just survive, but thrive, on their board. Now that You're on Board is now available to download in pdf format for just $15.00. What's more, if you're a Planning Commissioners Journal subscriber, you take take an additional 25% off that price. Not sure if Now that You're on Board is for you? Sample it: download Part I of the booklet right now at no charge. Download the complete 52 page booklet for just $15.00 ($11.25 for PCJ subscribers). -- Feel free to distribute, forward, or print out copies of the booklet for all members of your planning commission or board. For other distribution of the pdf, please call us for license fee information (802.864.9083). -- If you are a Planning Commissioners Journal subscriber, activate your discount now / not yet a subscriber, you can subscribe now & then activate your discount. -- local governments: if you prefer, we can invoice you and email you the booklet; to request an invoice, phone us at: 802.864.9083.

Place-Based Governance: Michigan Leads the Way (Part II)

As part one of our story on Place-Based Governance explained, PPS is thrilled to see that Michigan is leading the way toward adopting Placemaking as a new, state-wide economic development strategy. In this second part of the story, we'll explain some of the concrete ways this new focus on Placemaking will be carried out and measured and introduce you to some of the change agents responsible for this new approach.

Michigan State and Local Authorities to Prioritize Placemaking

Mike Finney, director of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and leader of the Economic Development Executive Group, was directed to engage state agencies and authorities to prioritize the following points and to issue a report on their progress by the end of the year:

• Identify ways to foster and promote collaboration among entities engaged in economic development and Placemaking activities.
• Maximize under-utilized resources throughout the state, particularly in urban communities and rural communities.
• Establish a process for evaluating the performance of economic development and Placemaking activities.
• Support investment programs that deliver measurable, positive results.
• Encourage new initiatives that support local and regional programs involved in economic development and Placemaking.
• Recognize successful state, regional, and local economic development and Placemaking programs that can be role models for groups around the state.
• Promote best practices for local and regional economic development and for Placemaking activities.
• Partner with local economic development and civic groups to fully understand the needs of the community

 The Potential for a New Michigan

Orienting the state’s economic development strategy around creating and sustaining great places and using a new, collaborative approach towards economic development built on broad, community-based partnerships makes it possible for the creative entrepreneurial spirit of Michigan’s citizens to emerge.

Place-Based Governance: Michigan Leads the Way (Part I)

Note from PCJ Editor Wayne Senville: We're pleased that over the coming year we'll be exchanging monthly blog postings with our partner, Project for Public Spaces.

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Placemaking is New, State-Wide Economic Development Strategy
by Staff from Project for Public Spaces

Interest in the idea of Placemaking and Place-based Governance has been "percolating" around the world during the past several years as people are looking for new models for economic growth and for creating place capital, the shared wealth that drives thriving communities.

One center of this percolation is in Michigan where the new Governor, Rick Snyder, used the announcement of his first Special Message to the Michigan Legislature to demonstrate the important role that Placemaking could play in the state’s future.

Recognizing the successful efforts of various organizations including the Michigan Municipal League, The Michigan Land Use Institute, and the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute, the governor’s Director of Strategic Planning, Bill Rustem, helped craft a Special Message with an unprecedented focus on Placemaking at both the state and local levels:

The Governor’s Special Message on Community Development and Local Government Reforms to the Michigan State Legislature, March 21, 2011:

“Neighborhoods, cities and regions are awakening to the importance of ‘place’ in economic development. They are planning for a future that recognizes the critical importance of quality of life to attracting talent, entrepreneurship and encouraging local businesses. Competing for success in a global marketplace means creating places where workers, entrepreneurs, and businesses want to locate, invest and expand. This work has been described as a “sense of place” or “place-based economic development” or simply “placemaking.”