EAST LANSING, Mich. — The “new economy” seems still beyond the horizon as Michigan continues to haul the weight of its “old economy” manufacturing legacy into a worldwide economic headwind.
But federal economic stimulus money presents a rare opportunity for Michigan communities to begin to reinvent themselves, according to Michigan State University researchers. A roadmap to recovery will unfold at the 2009 Michigan Land and Prosperity Summit April 14 and 15 at the Lansing Center.
“We cannot continue to look backward to solutions that might have worked in the past but no longer work today in the new global economy,” said MSU Land Policy Institute Director Soji Adelaja. “The leaders and experts at this summit are looking forward. In that direction lie the answers not only to Michigan’s recovery, but to its prosperity in the new economy.”
Land policy is intimately connected to prosperity in the emerging economy, Adelaja said, as money follows populations seeking a higher quality of life.
Young so-called knowledge workers and others who drive today’s economy first want vibrant places to live, according to the LPI report, “Chasing the Past or Investing in Our Future: Placemaking for Prosperity in the New Economy.” The full version of the report will be released at the summit, urging communities to make themselves attractive by creating green areas, redeveloping downtowns and connecting the economies of rural and urban neighbors.
“Every place doesn’t have everything,” said Adelaja, who is MSU John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy. “But virtually every place has something that can appeal to certain segments of the population and create prosperity for communities.”
And those “McMansions” that sprouted from field and forest in the last 20 years? They’re America’s next slums, predicts urban strategist and Brookings Institute Fellow Chris Leinberger, director of the Graduate Real Estate Development Program at the University of Michigan. Leinberger joins a roster of thought-provoking speakers at the summit.
For those who can’t attend, but wish to join the dialog, the summit’s focus on placemaking doesn’t ignore virtual territories. Twitter, Facebook and other social networks will carry content, and attendees are encouraged to bring mobile devices. Walk-in registrations are welcomed for either or both days.
Note to news media and those who wish to monitor the event and join the dialog:
- The summit will be covered on the Land Policy Institute’s Twitter page. It also can be located by typing #msulpi in Twitter’s search box.
- The Land Policy Institute’s Facebook page provides background information on the summit, opportunity to post comments and access multi-media resources. Become a “fan.”
- Through DimDim, a Web conferencing solution, several summit presentations will be available live to a limited number of “virtual attendees.” This virtual meeting space will provide live audio from speakers and their PowerPoint presentations. Contact kinch@landpolicy.msu.edu for details.
- The Land Policy Institute will also make presentations and multimedia content available to all at Michigan Land and Prosperity Summit.
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The MSU Land Policy Institute focuses on research and outreach related to land use and strategic growth in the New Economy. The Institute delivers innovative solutions, transitioning knowledge from land use to experts to the community.
Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.