Placemaking in Northern Michigan
Placemaking is a community-based approach involving the discovery and implementation of practices that make our communities distinctive, economically viable, accessible, and visually pleasing. Placemaking capitalizes on a local community's assets, inspiration and potential, creating good public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and economic well-being.
Placemaking in Northport
Northport, Michigan is working with Leelanau Township on an initiative called Designing and Achieving Our Potential to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for local residents. One of the priorities of the initiative is to make Northport a place that will attract more year round businesses and families. Watch the video to find out more.
Placemaking in Harbor Springs
Harbor Springs, Michigan is using Placemaking to make improvements to the community. Watch the video to find out more.
the Community Placemaking Guidebook
The Community Placemaking Guidebook follows the tenets of New Designs for Growth and The Grand Vision. It is designed to empower local citizens and unique collaborative groups in communities across northwest lower Michigan with the community pride and Placemaking toolkit that offers critical approaches to creating and managing successful public spaces. The level of a community’s local pride plays a significant role in the quality and maintenance of local places, an overall sense of place and identity, and ultimately economic prosperity in the global economy.
- Community Placemaking Guidebook
(smaller file size 2.36 MiB) - Community Placemaking Guidebook
(high resolution file size 9.17 MiB)
See the video, Placemaking in Northern Michigan:
Presentations from the 2012 Placemaking Summit
- Arts and Culture Placemaking:
Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts, Frankfort, Michigan
- Attracting and Retaining Investment:
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
- Downtown Placemaking:
City of Cadillac
- Form Based Zoning:
Suttons Bay
- Incorporating Placemaking in the Master Plan:
Kalkaska
Main Street Renaissance
- Place Based Master Planning:
MSU Extension
Placemaking and the Master Plan
- Placemaking for Pedestrians:
Michigan Land Use Institute (MLUI)
- Recreation and Placemaking:
Parks, Recreation, and Tourism as Placemaking
- Attracting and Retaining Investment
Elk Rapids (view Prezi online)
Placemaking and Investment
The professionals at Networks Northwest help our City Council, Planning Commission, and staff make thoughtful decisions to ensure our community is sustainable and resilient for many years to come.
- Mark Heydlauff, Charlevoix City Manager