metromode - Blog

Post No 6: The Ditch

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I started this week of stories on the river. Now I’m in the ditch. Well, it’s not really a ditch; it’s a mile long, 25 foot deep, 60 foot wide trench. And there’s nothing like it.

Conversation about the idea of converting the Dequindre Cut to into a pedestrian pathway began six years ago. The idea for what the riverfront could become was just beginning to take shape; redevelopment concepts for the Eastern Market were being discussed; and the Dequindre Cut was right there, waiting to connect the two.

The conversations weren’t always easy. When the discussion first began, the Cut was severely overgrown, it was littered with trash, cisterns eight to ten feet deep had had their covers removed, making them dangerous openings, several bridges were deteriorating so badly that cement would fall from above, the side walls were caving in. And that doesn’t even touch on the public perception that it was a scary, unsafe place.

But the project kept moving forward. The sewer system was rebuilt; the walls were reinforced; vegetation was removed, thus opening the corridor up; a couple of bridges in various stages of collapse were taken down. And suddenly, people who questioned whether investing in a subterranean railroad corridor was a good idea could see its potential.

As nifty an idea as the Dequindre Cut is, it’s important to know that its benefits, and contributions to the city, go well beyond the mile-long pathway. A greenway has been planned for the Midtown area, an area populated with educational, cultural and medical institutions. That greenway, when complete, will connect to the Eastern Market from the northwest. With the Dequindre Cut connecting the Eastern Market with the riverfront, when all is done you’ll be able to go from Wayne State to Belle Isle along without need of a car.

Of course, this is only one part of the greenways network being developed in the city, as they are or soon will be touching neighborhoods in all corners of the city. But it’s an important part because of what it does. In addition to the city resources the Dequindre Cut connects, it also links neighborhoods to those resources, and creates an interesting and unusual experience for those living in or near the Cut.

Perhaps more than what it does is what it says, about creative ways of utilizing our resources, of converting a liability to an asset, of addressing community challenges in new ways, of finding different ways of responding to community needs. And, perhaps, about what we can become as a city.

The Dequindre Cut was paved about a month ago. It will officially open when the lighting is connected. But I’ve been down there almost every day since it’s been paved; and every time I’ve been in the Cut, numerous other folks are there, enjoying what is a truly unique experience. I’ve talked to quite a number of them, and to a person, they talk about how excited they are to experience the city in such an unusual way.

So, now it’s done.

And so am I.

Let’s go for a walk.

Post 5: Community Involvement

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A good friend of mine is a national expert in creating recreational experiences for children of all abilities, including those with some limitations. She’s been working in this field for most of her professional career, and tells an interesting story about what got her started. It all began with a young girl in a wheelchair who sat next to a park watching her friends play on the swing set; but, of course, she couldn’t join them because the swings weren’t designed to accommodate her special needs. My friend, a mother with a child of her own, would see this girl at the park regularly, and there was nothing she could do to help that little girl join her friends on the playground. Needless to say, there’s a great deal more to this story. I’ve heard her tell it a half-dozen times, and every time she tells it, she brings tears to the audience’s eyes. It’s a powerful and emotional story.

But this story isn’t about that little girl. Her story tells us a great deal about how we think about community assets, and about showing everyone—young and old, male and female, healthy and weak—the same level of respect when designing public spaces and community resources.

I’m writing this on a swing set at Soroptimist Park. Soroptimist Park is a small park, about a short city block in each direction, located in a residential area of the city of Wayne. In June, the Wayne Parks and Recreation Department held a “community build”, a community engagement process where up to a hundred volunteers came together to build the slide and swing and jungle jim and walking trail that is now located at Soroptimist Park. It’s a great project, and Wayne should be applauded for engaging so many different partners in the project. The local golf leagues, the Rotary Club, a holiday women’s club, the local schools, all raised money to support the project. CVS contributed financially, raised money locally and provided help for the community build. It was quite a project.

But this story isn’t just about Soroptimist Park; and it isn’t just about the community build activities. You see, this wasn’t any ordinary project. This involved designing and constructing playground features that could be used by children of all abilities, facilities that are referred to as providing universal recreation. Translated, that means the facilities are designed in such a way that their use can accommodate anyone, no matter what their physical abilities…or limitations. No special swings or slides or scramble bars for children who may have mobility challenges, or limited use of their arms or legs. The facilities are designed so the use is seamless for all of the children, all of the time. It shows respect for all people, no matter what their circumstances.

Wayne is using its investment in Soroptimist Park to help establish policy regarding future park and public space investments. But not every community thinks about this issue as comprehensively as they should. Oh, sure, communities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; accommodations are made to create access to buildings, or curb cuts offer people easier ways to cross the street; but the Americans with Disabilities Act establishes a minimum standard of accommodation; and far too often, meet only that minimum standard without giving any thought to how to create a universal experience, so that people aren’t singled out because they’re “special”.

What’s going on in Wayne is quite telling about us as a society, how we can, with a little extra effort, make sure that everyone has equal opportunity to share in the resources of a community. And too often, we don’t do that; we choose to make the minimum investment, enough to meet the basic requirements of the law and nothing more. We can do better.

I started this story by saying this wasn’t about that little girl. Maybe it about her. Because maybe that little girl is your mother, or your sister, or your daughter…or you. And you deserve respect, too.

Post 4: Regionalism

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:09:35 GMT

Let’s go to the park today. Specifically, let’s go visit Richmond. If you’re not familiar with Richmond, it’s on the eastern edge of Macomb County, about 45 miles from downtown Detroit. It’s a nice little town of about 5,500 people, with a vibrant commercial district made up of all of the things we think of when we think of thriving little communities—restaurants, shops, professional office buildings. Richmond has a great deal to offer.

But we’re here to visit a park. I suppose you could say that the park we’re visiting is not much of a park. When I talked to a representative of Richmond’s recreation department, she described it as "basically a trailhead, with a gazebo, some park benches, restroom facilities." In fact, it doesn’t really have a name; the friendly folks of Richmond refer to it as the trailhead park.

This story, though, is not really about the park; it’s about what the park symbolizes. Richmond, you see, is at the end of the Macomb Orchard Trail, a 24-mile abandoned rail corridor that has been converted to a walking and biking path. The Macomb Orchard Trail covers the entirety of Macomb County, from Rochester to Richmond, traveling through such communities as Shelby Township, Romeo, Armada…and Richmond. The County took the lead on the trail’s development, and over the past decade has been acquiring land and building the trail, piece by piece.

It’s not easy to present to the public a concept plan, then implement it in pieces. Some communities get served first; others have to wait. But, when funds for acquisition and construction come from a variety of sources over a number of years, as was the case with the Macomb Orchard Trail—federal, state and county dollars matched by private contributions, including grants from the Community Foundation—it takes time.

To help with the development, construction and management of the trail, the communities formed an intergovernmental agreement, characteristic for a project but quite uncharacteristic for southeast Michigan. Through that agreement, the communities served by the Macomb Orchard Trail paid into a fund that helped with the development plans and, as segments of the trail came on line, assisted with its management.

Richmond was one of those communities. They were also at the end of the line. As the trail was developed from the west to east, Richmond dutifully paid into the fund; representatives participated in the meetings; they contributed to the trail’s management, even though they hadn’t gotten their segment of the trail. They invested in the common good because they knew their community would benefit and their day would come.

And come it did. Construction began on the eastern segment of the Macomb Orchard Trail, bringing it into Richmond. And to welcome the trail, and the visitors who used the trail, Richmond built a park, a trailhead park.

We often talk about how difficult it is here in southeast Michigan to get communities to work together, to look outside their boundaries, to share resources for the betterment of the region. In Macomb County, though, a handful of communities, working with the county, developed a shared vision for what they wanted to be—what they could become—as communities, and as partners, and went about implementing that vision, working together on this simple project in ways that we don’t see often enough.

One could say it’s not much of a park. But it represents so much more. As a park, it represents how each of the communities along the Macomb Orchard Trail will benefit from the trail—how we’ll become healthier, and learn more about our environment, and learn more about our communities, and each other. And as an investment, it illustrates how communities can come together, can collaborate to make our region stronger, to make us better, as a region, as a community, and as people.

So if you go to Richmond, look for the park. It’s at the end of the trail.

Or maybe it’s the beginning.

Post No 3: The Olympics

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I love the Olympics. I’m a great fan of competitive athletics, and have always appreciated significant accomplishments in sports. But there’s something different about the Olympics. The world stage; the world’s greatest athletes realizing new levels of achievement; unknown athletes accomplishing things that even they never dreamed were possible; the human interest stories associated with how the athletes managed to reach center stage, or overcome tremendous obstacles to compete for their country; the human drama of each and every competition. And the Olympics opens the door for many of us who have very little international travel experience, to countries and cultures and worlds and environments that we are not likely to ever see. It helps us to understand the remarkable diversity that is Mother Earth. There is simply nothing like the Olympics.

But, as the build-up to the Olympics grew, as reporters told us about the host country, China—the people, the culture, the lifestyles, the economy—I was struck by one thing that had nothing to do with athletic competition or the athletes, but certainly said a lot about us as a people.

Cars.

As the deadline for Olympic competition approached, story after story reported on the terrible air pollution in Beijing. There were constant references to the possible need to wear masks when competing in outside venues, such as the bike road race and the marathon. Some athletes threatened to stay home. In an attempt to clear the air, the Chinese government shut down factories and took 1.5 million cars off the road a month before competition began, just to ensure that the athletes could breathe.

What are we doing to ourselves? Please understand—this isn’t a diatribe against cars. It is, though, a comment about the way we design the communities in which we live. So often we think about ways to accommodate cars and their uses, and don’t think about using that same space to create opportunities for people to interact with each other.

Increasingly, cities around the country are recognizing that cities, and neighborhoods within cities, are places for exchange—social, cultural, economic exchange. And, increasingly, cities are redesigning their landscapes to encourage that exchange. The design feature we often read about is creating bicycle-friendly cities. But that’s not the only thing. The concept of complete streets encourages looking at the many different ways we use streets, and designing the streets to complement and encourage those uses. Narrow streets provide more walkable communities, which brings neighbors and visitors into closer contact with each other; businesses capitalize on the pedestrian traffic in those commercial districts; angle parking doubles the amount of parking available, and, combined with the narrower streets, slows traffic down and creates a safer environment; bike lanes offer bicyclists with equal access to the pavement; amenities along the way, such as benches, bike racks, trees and properly designed lighting, create public spaces that encourage visitation.

And the bottom line is, we get healthier, the local economy improves, we get to know our neighborhood, and our neighbors, better, and the community becomes that much more attractive a place to live.

How do we get there? A non-motorized plan has been developed for the City of Detroit, and the City Council is preparing to discuss its support. But this should be about more than endorsing a plan. We should look for ways to integrate opportunities for pedestrian and non-motorized experiences in every development and construction plan, including every road reconstruction project. Finding ways to encourage getting closer to nature, to our environment and to our communities should be public policy, both in the city and throughout the region; and should be a requirement for all projects.

No, wait…it shouldn’t be a requirement. It should be done as a matter of course. It should be done because it’s the right thing to do. Then maybe we won’t be talking about removing cars so people can breathe. We’ll be talking about creating one of the most livable cities—and regions—in the country.

Post No 2: The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It just dawned on me that I didn’t properly introduce myself yesterday. I work for the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. If you’re not familiar with community foundations, they are quite literally the philanthropic arm of the community. We support activities, programs and institutions to improve the quality of life throughout the region’s seven counties. We manage over 900 charitable funds, and last year awarded more than $45 million in grants to organizations throughout the region. In addition to grants, we offer education and training on issues important to the health and well-being of the region. In the past, these events have included seminars on safe communities, addressing the obesity epidemic, the implications of changes in the tax laws to nonprofit organizations, and many others.

We develop special programs around particular issues important to the region. Some of those programs include initiatives that support arts and culture, environmental education, senior citizens, or creating endowments for nonprofit organizations. And, included in that category, is the GreenWays Initiative.

The GreenWays Initiative, though, is an unusual one for us. When the idea was first proposed eight years ago, it prompted a number of questions. It involved grants supporting capital improvements, and we typically didn’t make capital grants. It was our first direct involvement with municipal governments. It required a more direct engagement with potential grantees, both public and private, than had been our custom. It included an educational component that was much more active than any other educational series’ we had hosted in the past. At $25 million, it was by a significant margin the largest initiative we had ever attempted (at that time). And, the structure—a community foundation serving as a leading voice in support of the development of greenways—had never been tried, anywhere in the country.

Greenways had been discovered and embraced elsewhere in the country. But this was a new issue, and an untested new model, for southeast Michigan. Not surprisingly, there were some serious questions. How will this function? How do we make sure our money is being spent properly? How can we get communities to work together? How do we make sure the requisite knowledge and skills are out there? And perhaps most important, why should we do this and will it work?

That last question—the “why” in particular—caused some real soul-searching about what this would mean to the city and the region. Should we get involved in greenways because of experiences in other cities? Like Pittsburgh, where the mayor in the late 90’s characterized greenways as the single most important economic development program in the city? Or in Indianapolis, where an entire greenway is dedicated to art? Or in Minneapolis, where twenty percent of the entire campus population of the University of Minnesota—students, faculty, staff—bike or walk to the campus every day…year round? Or in Little Rock, where the Medical Mile, a mile-long downtown trail along the Arkansas River celebrates the health benefits of greenways? Or Denver, where, through intergovernmental cooperation, the region has used cooperation with the water management district to build an interconnecting network of 600 miles of trails that extend well into the suburbs? Or Indianapolis again, where a study by the local board of realtors showed that property adjacent to or near the main trails in the city was as much as 15-25 percent more valuable? Or Portland, Oregon, where the popularity of bike lanes has turned Portland into a biking tourism destination? Or Chicago, where, because of the availability of bike lockers at Millenium Park, bicycle commuting has skyrocketed? (Notice that most of the examples cited share the same weather we have.)

Well, maybe.

Or maybe we should be investing in greenways because of the doctor in Flat Rock who moved his clinic so it was adjacent to the greenway being built in that city, thus enabling him to use it as part of his health prescriptions for his patients. Or because of the greenway that was built connecting Henry Ford Community College and the University of Michigan-Dearborn to the commercial/residential district of West Dearborn, thus giving those two campuses pedestrian access for the first time in their 40+ year history. Or because of the hotel in downtown Rochester that markets its location along a greenway as one of its offerings. Or because of the 750,000 people who came down to the riverfront to enjoy General Motors Detroit River Days? Or because of the six communities along the Clinton River Trail in Oakland County, or the 10 communities along the Macomb Orchard Trail in Macomb County, or the 21 Downriver communities, that are collaborating—working together—to connect to each other, and to build better shared communities. Or because the $25 million GreenWays Initiative has generated an additional $90+ million in public investment, funds that came to southeast Michigan because of the development of greenways.

Or maybe it’s all of those things, and so many more.

Post No 1: Going For A Walk

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I went for a walk today. It's a walk I take often, several times a week if possible. Today's walk, though, was much longer than usual. Typically, when I have the chance, I walk along the Detroit River from the Renaissance Center to the Rivard Plaza and back. Today I walked to Gabriel Richard Park and back, a distance of about 3 1/2 miles each way, the entire length of the east riverfront when it will be done.

The RiverWalk is incredible. Have you seen it yet? If not, you should get down there soon, and visit often. Who knows what you might find? Fountains (always full of children on hot days); a one-of-a-kind carousel; air races; rock concerts; weddings (I walked into one a couple of weeks ago); a labyrinth; outdoor meetings; bike riders; or, perhaps most important, a place to walk, or sit, or watch the boats and the river--a place of respite, to enjoy what is special about this city.

For those of us who've lived and worked in Detroit for decades, access to the riverfront, the change in the city is truly inspirational. And it has transformed the way we think about the city, and the city thinks about itself.

Oh, sure, there's more to be done. The state park isn't finished; the section between Mt. Elliott Park and Gabriel Richard Park needs to be completed; access at the eastern end needs to be improved; the area east of the Renaissance Center needs to be cleaned up to make for a more inviting environment.

The city must work with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the organization vested with the responsibility of managing the public spaces and hosting the events along the RiverWalk, to complete this pedestrian corridor. It needs to happen soon, so the momentum for development is not lost, and so the Riverfront Conservancy can move on to the stretch heading west to the Ambassador Bridge (yes, there is a next phase in the riverfront's development, another 2 1/2 miles west of Cobo Center).

But the work yet to be done does not make the transformation any less significant. Something happens when you go for a walk along the riverfront. You interact and engage people in entirely different ways. You meet people from very different backgrounds, people of all colors, of all ages, of all philosophies. You smile and say hello. You share with everyone that same sense of wonder, of excitement, of enthusiasm for this place we call home, and that commitment to what it could be. The transformation of the riverfront has created a share sense of interest in where we live, and how we live, and how we live with each other.

And that's the point.

Stephen Rapundalo

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Many in the entrepreneurial biosciences community often lament about the inadequate availability of venture capital and other investment funding in Michigan to grow pre-seed and seed stage companies. Business leaders remain unconvinced that Michigan will become competitive in the life sciences, but they point to start-up funds for life sciences entrepreneurs as the most effective strategy for making Michigan a major player in that sector.

The state, and for that matter the Midwest region, still suffers relative insignificance in the venture capital world ($105.4 million invested in Michigan vs $29.4 billion nationally in 2007) despite recent efforts by the state to establish a number of fund-to-funds, along with an increase in the number of venture capital firms and the size of their capital funding. While this bodes well for growing technology sectors like life sciences, it still means that start-up companies must look towards the east and west coasts primarily when searching for funding.

We can point to numerous examples where newly minted companies, born from intellectual property developed at a Michigan academic institution, have had to move to the coasts and follow the money trail. What’s it going to take to insure that home-grown biotech firms can stay in the state, have access to adequate capital investment and relevant resources, and thus insure their long-term commercialization viability?

In a word – success! Success breeds more success. Investors will flock to where there are winners. So more investment capital in Michigan will only occur on the heels of visible wins like Neogen, Esperion Therapeutics, QuatRx Pharmaceuticals, Asterand, and others. As they build successes, it will create the kind of maturity that will provide the capital influx necessary to sustain other start-ups and get the larger businesses to stay and create more jobs themselves.

The availability of venture capital in Michigan is a necessary component if the state and Midwest region are to become a biotechnology powerhouse. However, it’s a catch-22 situation isn’t it? One can’t get the capital without a nucleus of success, but the industry growth can’t occur without sufficient investment – will we succeed.

Read the rest of Stephen's blog here.

Neeta Delaney

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Art Revives Cities

Think for a moment about the most remarkable urban revitalization success stories around the state. Such dramatic transformations of decaying industrial sites and abandoned buildings into thriving, bustling places like the Avenue of the Arts in Grand Rapids, the Entertainment and Cultural Districts of downtown Detroit, the Box Factory in St. Joe, Old Town in Lansing and more recently the Armory Arts Project in Jackson.

What do they all have in common? Arts and culture were the catalysts.

This phenomenon is not new. Large metropolitan areas like New York City and others have for decades been able to point to countless examples of the culture/commerce connection. What is new, however, is that more of these efforts are happening not by default, but by design.

"Cultural economic development" is what happens when you engage the creative energy of a community’s artists, designers and cultural institutions in discussions, decisions, planning and implementation of a community’s efforts to breathe new life into its economy.

The result is a more interesting and appealing place to live, work, start or locate a new enterprise. Examples of intentional arts-focused development efforts include affordable artists live/work spaces, public art programs, creative industries innovation centers, river art walks, arts & entertainment districts, historic preservation districts, cultural tourism, arts incubators, performing arts centers and arts and cultural festivals.

Just five years ago, nearly every building in the 100 and 200 block of Division Avenue in Grand Rapids was either vacant or in serious disrepair. Because of an intentional strategy adopted by the housing-focused nonprofit Dwelling Place, today the Avenue of the Arts community is home to 66 creative residents, seven new businesses and next month two new restaurants. These restaurants alone will bring 80 – 100 jobs to the area.

By now, it’s common knowledge that the Michigan Opera Theatre’s pioneering restoration of the Detroit Opera House was the catalytic spark for what is now a re-energized downtown sports and entertainment district that bears no resemblance to the dreary abandoned unpeopled place it was just a decade or so ago.

Artists and gallery owners partnered with the Old Town Business & Art Development Association in Lansing to transform a blighted area adjacent to the Grand River into a cultural/commercial gem with 20,000 visitors attending the annual Blues Fest, another 20,000 attending its Jazz Fest. Lansing’s Old Town was recognized as an outstanding success story by Ikea's "Small Businesses, Big Dreams" contest beating out 50 other cities across the country.

Arts incubators are also being lauded as catalysts for revitalization with the most recent example of the Jackson Armory Arts Project which has transformed a 19th prison in Jackson into live/work space for dozens of artist entrepreneurs. The project has already served as the catalyst for new development in the surrounding area and is in the process of transforming the community’s decade’s long negative self-image.

And think about arts and cultural events that rock communities each year. Launched in 2000, Movement, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, had 630,000 attendees in just three years injecting $60 million into the economy in one weekend.

Then there's the upcoming ROTHBURY, the giant multi-day music festival with 70 bands playing over the 4th of July weekend at Double JJ Ranch just north of Muskegon, with attendance estimated at 50,000 and the economic impact to be "staggering" to the small lake town community.

Michigan’s nonprofit arts and cultural activities alone generate $2 billion a year, support 108,000 jobs and are the raw material for a $65.5 million cultural tourism industry.

If this region truly wants to grow a creative economy, more people need to see the connection between culture and commerce. The examples are all around us, but we need to shine a brighter light on them!

Read the rest of Neeta's blogs here.

David Knapp

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Land. A finite resource. One that some on Wall Street will tell you is the best investment you can make.

But to us, it’s an infinite dispensable commodity. One which since we initially settled this country was ours for the taking. And to lay claim to it was to devour it.

Today, we uphold that mindset and continue to consume land at alarming rates disregarding any signs that would tell us otherwise. Arthur C. Nelson, PhD, professor at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in his Brookings Institution paper Toward a New Metropolis: The Opportunity to Rebuild America, says, "more than 3,000 square miles of land annually is converted to residential development over one acre in size." Fortunately for us, most of this sprawl takes place at the expense of farms, virgin landscapes, forests and other wildlife habitats. Consume-on!

The effects of sprawl are finally starting to show. Not only are we gobbling up land at increasing rates, but we’re all paying for it too! It’s not like we haven’t been paying for it in gas taxes, transportation taxes, and federal highway project costs. Cause we have! What about the new sewers, water mains, and other public utilities that go out into our new sprawling one acre residential tracts? Who knows? Who cares?

I’ll tell you one thing that I do know, it wasn’t free. Who’s paying for it?... Right.

The reality here is that most of us fail to realize how a lot of our tax dollars are being spent. Locally, it’s even a bigger a disaster. We continue to be at the bottom of the list in terms of the percentage of federal dollars reinvested in transportation projects proportionate to the tax dollars we send to Washington. States and regions above us on this list all have alternative transportation systems in place and is one of the main reasons for our lackluster reinvestment figures.

What am I getting at here? We need to stop subsidizing other region’s transportation projects and we need to stop subsidizing the proliferation of our own sprawl.

In Michigan, specifically in Metro Detroit, it needs to start somewhere and it needs to start now! We have to curb sprawl and start treating our land like an investment. We need to stop building roads and stop building one acre-lot residential housing out beyond the periphery. We need to quit adding new on to our already aging and dilapidated infrastructural systems because it will only further perpetuate the financial burden passed back onto us tomorrow. We absolutely must balance our transportation spending between road maintenance (notice: not "road proliferation") mass transit and other means of transportation. And I don’t mean splitting the dollar 98%, 1% and 1% respectively. Let’s invest more in mass transit, cause without it, at the rate we’re going, we won’t be able to afford to be motorists in the Motor City.

Plan now for a better future. Long-term thinking… right? Who knows, maybe then Washington will be willing to kick back a few more dollars of our own money?

Sounds like a plan to me.

Read the rest of David's blog here.

Toby Barlow

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Bar Fight

I began in this town like many newcomers do, wide-eyed and dreaming of possibilities. But Detroit is a tough town. You bring any idea for a brighter, shinier tomorrow and into the room someone is always ready to knock you down.

For instance, when I first showed up, I found myself downtown idly musing about the train station.

"Aw, waddaya gotta bring that up for?" asked the fellow at the next barstool.

I ordered another beer and explained how I worked on a film crew once and when we needed a shot of down-and-out urban grit, guess where we filmed? The train station. When tourists want to see signs of what the rust belt’s ugly decline, where do we take them? Locals like to ignore it’s even there, but for the rest of the world, that the Michigan Central Station’s broken down façade stands out front and center as the pre-eminent symbol of our city’s decline.

Meanwhile, plans for the site seem to be eternally stalled. Matty Moroun appeared on the verge of selling it to the city but as far as I know, nothing has happened. There’s no "Save the Station" organization and no visible plan for what to do next.

This is a tragedy of no small order, after all, the building was designed by the same architects who built Grand Central Station. Ideally, something bold and visionary could be done with the station.

Either that, or it should be razed.

That’s when the guy on the barstool came to life again, "Yeah! Tear it down!" he shouted.

"Wait, wait." I said, "If it were renovated, it would cost something like three or four hundred million dollars. But we shouldn’t stop there, we should spend whatever it takes to make it one of the pre-eminent green buildings in the world."

Now the fellow got all ornery, "Woah, what? Detroit is lucky to get ANY kind of development and now you want to jack up the cost by making it all eco-green? What are you, some kind of communist hippie?" That’s when he took a swing at me.

I ducked his punch and pushed him off the barstool before continuing. "Yes," I say, "Because among other issues, Detroit’s problem is that it’s perceived as a throw back to the industrial age. They think we’re dirty, polluted, and frankly kind of backwards. Having an icon like the train station reborn as a geothermal, solar powered building with wind generators on the top, would turn everyone’s idea of Detroit on its ear. Bill McDonough could do it. He did an amazing job on the River Rouge plant."

At this point the guy pushes himself up from the floor and puts up his dukes in a classic Popeye pose. "Come on!" he mumbled, "Come on!"

"Or, I suppose you’re right, we could raze it." I said, trying to appease him in the hopes he’d settle down, "But in that case I would raise money to make a nice city park on the grounds, one that ran to the river. We could save a few pillars from the station and make the park sort of like classical ruins of old, say like Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. It would be a lot less expensive and the town could probably use a nice park like that. Kind of like what they’re doing with the High Line in New York."

"High Line?! High Line?! I’ll show you a High Line!" I’m not sure what he meant, but at this point the fellow was dancing around, winding up and getting ready to deliver one doozy of a punch. I tried to ignore him.

"I’d prefer keeping it and restoring it." I continue, "The ideal solution, as far as I can tell, is if someone made the renovation part of a bigger notion. Tie it, say, to a large endowment for renewable science studies at Michigan. The building could be filled with labs and classrooms. The tracks below would carry the students to Anne Arbor and back all day, connecting the two cities with the sort of affordable high speed transit you already find in many of the world’s truly modern cities.

It sounds crazy, but if the right people are approached and the right plans are put on the table, it’s eminently doable. In ten years, the station could go from being an abject grotesque ruin to being the home of world’s next big idea. Until then, it’s just standing there, silently looming over us, taunting us, waiting for the rest of the Detroit to sink down into its ruin."

By the time the drunk finally swung at me, I was so caught up in my thoughts, I’d honestly forgotten he was even there. His fist hit my head – ironically enough - with the full force of a freight train and I was down on the floor, knocked out cold.

Which is too bad, really, ‘cause I think he would have really liked my plans for Tiger Stadium.

Read the rest of Toby's posts here.

Jessica Pfeiffer

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Brain Drain & What have internships got to do with it??

We’ve all read the statistics and heard the news. Michigan and its economy are struggling. Our college graduates are leaving the state with their talent, energy and entrepreneurial spirit in tow. The fruits of our state’s investment in public education are packing up and leaving for what they perceive to be greener pastures. These are not just statistics, my friends- each one of these college graduates is a young person with a story and a dream. Along the way, something derails the part of that dream where the young person’s career is flourishing here, close to their families and in their home state, with its beautiful lakes, premier sports teams, affordable historical housing and international flavor. I know, because, not so long ago, I was one of those young people with one of those stories.

When I graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, bachelor’s degree with honors in one hand, internship lined up in a top Detroit law firm for the summer and admission & partial scholarship to Duke University School of Law in the other, my dream was clear. Finish law school, find a position practicing law in Detroit and then find a way to give back to the community with my pro bono time until I had paid off the law school loans and could spend all of my days doing work that would help rebuild the city which I’d grown up in and which I loved. Let there be no doubt, I LOVED THIS CITY, for better or for worse, and I still do. Back then, I would have added, “‘til death do us part.” But it was not to be, like a fickle lover, Detroit has not once, but twice, burned me in the job market.

The first time, it was a painful experience but I found another offer and like so many of our young graduates, I moved away. I had finished my first semester of law school and began my search for a summer internship. With straight A’s from a top law school, hiring me should have been a no-brainer, but summer jobs in the top Detroit law firms were either not available for first year law students, or even worse, I was told that people from my out-of-state law school don’t stay in Detroit so they wouldn’t hire me.

Talk about a self-fulfilling prophesy.

If Detroit law firms wouldn’t have me, however, several of the country’s other top law firms were knocking on my door, so I followed the opportunity and I spent that first summer interning at the prestigious global law firm, then known as Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, in their main office just a few hours away in Cleveland, Ohio. The training that I received at Jones Day that summer opened doors around the country and around the world that were not open for me in Detroit, and, because of that one fateful summer, dream effectively derailed. I next moved to Washington D.C., Chicago, London and Dallas sharpening my skills at another of the top global law firms and in the corporate law departments of Boeing and Harley-Davidson.

My dream was not completely off the tracks, however, and I kept Detroit close to my heart. In the Spring of 2006, the right opportunity presented itself, and I moved back the Detroit to join the legal Department of Comerica as a Vice President & Corporate & Securities Counsel. I was living the dream: I bought a house in Corktown, I joined the board of a local nonprofit, Southwest Solutions, found other volunteer outlets, cheered for the Tigers and all was well with the world.

Alas, it was not to last.

We’ve all heard about Comerica’s headquarters relocation. My position was one of the first to move. Luckily, by this time, I was better equipped to fight for my dream. I worked my network of contacts, and found the perfect position to allow me to stay in Detroit and advance my dream. I now spend my days building connections and working on plans to promote internships and keep our college graduates in the state. There will be lots more about that program- the MORE Program, Michigan Opportunities and Resources for Entrepreneurs, in tomorrow’s installment.

The lessons the region needs to take away from my story and those of others like me are many, but this week I’m going to focus on just a few. I’m going to talk about internships – why they are good for business and good for retaining talent. I’ll also discuss my program and other tactics that are in place or that should be to help Michigan retain our college graduates in the state.

Read the rest of Jessica's blog here:

Post No 4: Hollywood, Michigan

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:20:03 GMT

My husband has been fortunate to benefit from Michigan's new film incentive program. In the spring he worked with Sigourney Weaver on a TV movie for the Lifetime channel entitled "Prayers for Bobby". For the past five weeks, he’s been working with Clint Eastwood on "Gran Torino". Yes, that Clint Eastwood.

From what we've seen so far, the incentive program is pumping a lot of money into Michigan’s fragile economy. Not only are individual cities benefiting from the influx of out-of-town crews spending money on hotels, entertainment and shopping, but the incentive program is also helping to keep many skilled workers from leaving the film industry and the state altogether.

Before the incentive program passed in April 2008, Michigan's film industry looked pretty bleak. For years, the majority of the local film and video production has been tied into the auto industry with commercials, training videos, and corporate communications. Currently with the big three facing serious trouble and Volkswagen/Audi pulling up stakes to move to Virginia in June, southeast Michigan has lost many talented filmmakers during these tough times.

The details of the program are a bit murky to me and I think the rules have already been amended several times, but it goes something like this… If a production company spends at least $50,000 in the state of Michigan, they are eligible to receive a 40% tax credit from the state. If the production shoots in one of Michigan’s "core communities", they can receive an extra 2% credit. There are several hoops to jump through, but the benefits are tremendous for the production companies.

Finally Michigan realized the need to diversify and stop relying on the auto industry. For years, Michigan has been losing film productions to other areas, like Toronto and North Carolina, due to aggressive incentive programs. We now have an opportunity to show off the talents of our filmmakers and regain some stability in the film community.

However, the program is barely a few months old and there is already talk from Lansing of cutting the program. Rumor has it that Michigan lawmakers are concerned that too much money is being spent for a short-term gain. What they haven't taken into account are the long-term gains with thousands of Michigan workers continuing to pay their mortgages, feed their families, pay their taxes and stay in the state.

The incentive program also offers a credit for training. Realistically, southeast Michigan has enough union workers to crew two movies at a time. Beyond that, we're pulling crews that have little or no film experience. If we are really serious about making this program work, we need to train more workers and allow them to get them into the unions.

We are also in dire need of sound stages. Filming in the spring and summer in Michigan has been great so for, but with the colder weather right around the corner, those L.A. crews aren’t going to want to shoot in the snow. (Unless, of course, the shot calls for it.)

With nearly 20 films slated to film in Michigan in the upcoming months, it would be a shame to cut the program short before it has had a chance to blossom.

Post No 3: Dog Parks

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:17:54 GMT

On a recommendation from my sister, I took my dogs to Orion Oaks Dog Park in Lake Orion and the girls had a blast. This was Bristol’s first time swimming and it may be her last; she looked terrified after she resurfaced from her swan dive off the Dog Dock. Diesel is an old pro and loves to swim.

Orion Oaks Dog Park also offers hiking trails, a sandy area where the dogs can dig, and amenities for the people, such as clean bathrooms with running water and a large canopy with picnic tables. I really liked this park because it was entirely fenced and offered a variety of terrain.

A day pass for residents for Oakland County Parks is $7. I decided not to purchase the annual pass for $30 because it took me an hour to get there and I wasn’t sure how often I would take advantage of it.

If I had known the next day we would visit another Oakland County Park, Lyon Oaks Dog Park in Wixom, I may have purchased the annual pass. Oh well.

Lyon Oaks was a little boring in comparison to Orion Oaks. It was just a huge fenced field with picnic tables and a couple shaded areas with picnic tables where the people can hang out. And they only had outhouses. On this particular day, the number of small dogs outnumbered the big dogs and they mostly hung out in the small dog area. Of course, my girls had to wander into the small dog area to say hello. Luckily no one seemed to mind. It was actually very cute to see my Rottweilers playing with a Min Pin because they all have similar markings.

After reading one of the comments to my first post, I decided to get off my butt and contact the city of Southfield to find out how we could get our own dog park. I emailed the Director of Parks and Recreation, Bill Waterhouse, to let him know that my neighbors and I would like to see a dog park in the city.

I was very impressed to receive a quick reply from Mr. Waterhouse. He informed me that Southfield Parks & Rec have been looking into it and are carefully considering several locations. He mentioned they have visited other dog parks to see how they were developed and how they have fared over time. He also invited me to send him my suggestions of possible locations or any other input I might have.

Since receiving Mr. Waterhouse’s “invitation” to submit my ideas, I checked out a couple places in the city for myself and realized it’s not a very easy task. It seems like Southfield has either sold all of its open spaces to office buildings or they’ve put in a soccer field.

I know soccer is very popular, but I’ve never actually seen anyone play soccer on any of these fields. Maybe one of the fields could be sacrificed for us doggy parents who need a safe place for our furry “children” to play, socialize and get some exercise.

Or maybe one of the office buildings would like to be a good corporate citizen and donate some of their land to open a dog park. It’s probably a long shot, but it’s worth a shot.

Post No 2: A House In Ferndale

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have been looking into starting a new business venture: landlord. For years I have been thinking about buying a rental property, then selling it a few years down the road and making big bucks. One article I read a long time ago said if you buy one house every year for seven years, then sell one house every year, after 14 years you’d be rich! I’m not 100% sure how the math works on that, but the concept stuck with me.

With the Michigan real estate market being what it is today, now seems to be the perfect time to pick up some bargains. At first I limited my search to Southfield near where I live. I know the area very well; I walk the dogs all over our little corner of Southfield every day. I was shocked to find homes listed for under $30,000. My car almost costs that much. Granted, most in this price range have been severely neglected. Others are good homes, maybe need some updating, and they go quickly.

I’ve now widened the search to include Ferndale. In general, the Ferndale homes in this price range have a little less square footage and smaller lots than Southfield, but Ferndale has so much going for it that Southfield doesn’t. A vibrant downtown. Dog parks. Lower taxes. Lower crime.

Don’t get me wrong. Southfield has a lot going for it and you get a lot of house for the money. It’s just a little tougher sell than Ferndale, especially for those not familiar with the city.

As others have been taking advantage of the soft real estate market, it’s interesting to see all the construction going on in the areas where I’ve been looking. Little by little, the neighborhoods are getting spruced up and filled with people.

Since I began the search a couple weeks ago, I’ve looked at more than 20 houses and walked through eight. They’ve all had issues, including strange floor plans, poor foundation, holes in the roof, rotting wood, and my favorite…mold. I’m willing and able to do some work (my husband and my dad are very handy), but from everything I’ve heard, mold is a four-letter word I should stay away from.

I’ve also learned that before a home goes into foreclosure, due to certain Michigan laws, sometimes the mortgage company has to wait six months before they can put it up for sale. In that time span, the utilities are usually shut off, which in the winter, means bursting water pipes. I’ve looked at a couple houses that have been on the market since winter and all of them have water damage and mold, especially in the basement or crawl space.

I’m hesitant to buy a house with a basement, anyway. The house where I grew up in Oak Park had a basement that constantly flooded. I lost all of my high school yearbooks and other memorabilia to water damage. Besides, for many the basement is a place to store the junk you can’t bring yourself to get rid of.

I’m waiting to hear from the real estate agent regarding a Ferndale ranch I wanted to look at the other night but the lockbox was missing, so we couldn’t get in. From looking at the outside, I already know the house needs some work (roof and siding, for sure), but it looks like it could be a really cute house one day.

Post No 1: The Place For Me

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:03:01 GMT

For as long as I can remember, I always thought I’d move away from Michigan. I’ve lived in metro-Detroit all my life and I’ve always wanted to move somewhere warmer.

When one of my younger sisters, Jennifer, moved to Delaware, then to Sonoma Valley, then to Raleigh-Durham, I was so jealous. I always thought I’d be the one to move first and here she was, crisscrossing the country. And when another sister, Stephanie, moved to L.A., I was happy for her, but I was pissed. I wanted it to be me.

Usually the urge to bail hits me in late fall when everything turns brown and the air gets a bit cooler. I don’t understand why anyone likes the fall; everything is dying! And don’t get me started on the Michigan winters. I remember one winter where we had 30 days in a row of no sun. Just gray skies for a month!

So why do I stay? Well, most of my family still lives here. I have built a successful career. My husband and I own a nice home on a quiet street with decent neighbors in Southfield. We hang with a nice circle of friends. Michigan summers are awesome. Fear.

I’ve visited almost every state in the U.S., either for vacation or work, yet I haven’t found a place that feels quite right. I’ve also traveled to the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central America, but none of those felt right either. At least not enough to pack up and go permanently.

My ideal city would have to meet the following criteria…

Warm climate with a lot of sunny days. 70s-80s all year round.
Dog friendly. I’d like to live in a city with dog parks and safe areas to walk, along with shops and restaurants that allow (and encourage) you to bring your dogs.
Affordable neighborhoods where the houses aren’t jammed next to each other. I grew up in Oak Park where only the driveway separated our house from the neighbors. If I can hear my neighbor start his car in the morning, that’s too close.
Plenty of work. Although much of my work is done out of state, most of the production companies and marketing agencies that hire me are located in Michigan. If I were to move, I would probably lose about 75% of my business.
With all the traveling I do, I’d prefer to be within an hour’s drive from a major airport. Some of my coworkers live in the northern suburbs and rave about flying out of Flint. They usually have to connect through DTW before arriving at their destination, but I hate connections.
Wide variety of concert venues. I enjoy watching live music, from Kid Rock to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Hmm…I wonder if this place exists.

Post No 2: Washtenaw County’s Katrina

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Poverty is ugly. It doesn't matter how you describe it. It doesn't matter where you sit to observe it or live in it. Whether it is Jamaica, Belize, Africa, Europe, anytown USA, Detroit, or right here in Washtenaw County.

For the last two days, I've been participating in/chairing meetings as Directors Council President of the Michigan Community Action Agencies Association. We've spent a whole lot of our time trying to get our hands around how we are going to solve the problem of poverty in Michigan. Right now nearly 33% of our State's families and children and live in poverty. Is this PURE MICHIGAN? The Governor is planning a huge Voices for Action Poverty Reduction Summit on November 13th at Cobo Hall. I am coordinating the effort with Livingston and Oakland County. (We will have more info on our website soon for you to sign up to go and learn about this crisis in our State.)

In Washtenaw County, almost 12% (~30,000 individuals) of our population live at or below of the poverty level. If we walk through certain neighborhoods in our county we don't see the blight or "slums" that we might see in other areas of the state, but we know that beyond the walls, people are suffering. We know that people are a house note away from foreclosure, a rent payment away from homelessness, a utility payment away from shutoffs. An ill senior citizen is in our county somewhere not knowing how they are going to pay for their next bottle of pills to stay healthy.

Eleanor Josaitis, Co-Founder, Focus-Hope, and a dear colleague of mine, told my group yesterday that she ran into a 4-star general who found out his mother had only popsicles in her refrigerator to eat. And he called her regularly. He had no idea she was hungry. Sometimes, many hide their poverty. They are too proud, and ashamed.

Let me put it another way. My vision of how many people are living in poverty in Washtenaw County, the second most affluent county in Michigan, is this: Think of the Big House. We could fill the Big House from the End Zone to the 33 Yard Zone with those who need assistance from our County's Human Services Departments and community based and faith based organizations.

Imagine that! That's a lot of people. And that is just the children and adults we count and know of.

So where does Katrina fit in on all this? I recently toured the aftermath of Katrina. I saw firsthand the miles and miles of lost New Orleans neighborhoods and too much poverty afforded to one city. It reminded too much of the aftermath of the riots of '67 in Detroit. Neighborhoods that weren't up to speed BEFORE the devastation looked beyond repair afterwards. So, indeed, poverty was accelerated after Katrina hit.

Then I was reminded again that 900 people lost their lives, that 6000 business owners lost their business, and that thousands of people waited out on the I-90 Bridge with one bottled water and 2 sandwiches in 101 degree scorching heat from Tuesday – Friday waiting for RESCUE. And it hurt through my tears.

So, where does Katrina fit in with Washtenaw? As a government worker and humble servant I ask myself where did the government go wrong with Katrina? Why did government go wrong with Katrina? How did government go wrong with Katrina?

As we work together in Washtenaw County every day to serve the most in need we should ask ourselves are we doing things correctly? Are we operating programs in the best interest of those needing services? Are we serving those in need with the utmost dignity and respect? As I walk around viewing our impoverished neighborhoods in Washtenaw County, where children play, I wonder why we cannot redevelop certain housing projects any quicker than a Katrina redevelopment project and move these individuals out of poverty.

I know it's not that easy. We all have a lot of work to do. I am convinced that people are not poor because they want to be.

Tell me what you think?

Post No 1: Access Points

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

ACCESS POINTS: the community helping the community

It might be a little secret to some in Washtenaw County, but we’re famous across the country!

I am one of the founding "sisters", (or at this stage of my life, I should say founding "mamas",- it’s been 25 years) of the National Workforce Development Council of the United States Conference of Mayors- the council of professionals who advise the Mayors of this Country on issues impacting job seekers and employers in their communities. At their annual meeting with the Mayors in Miami, not too many days ago, Senator Obama graced us with his presence at a special VIP luncheon. Even though I thought I was VIP enough, the ONLY reason I got in to the luncheon with OBAMA, was because my daughter, Captain Terica Rusher -- 275th Military Police, National Guard Headquarters, Washington DC, who is on leave from a just very recent tour from Iraq, and had flown down to Miami to be with me during these working meetings-- had charmed several mayors with her war stories and gained a luncheon seat. Mom got to tag along…. Ha!… So it worked out for me.

The rest of my colleagues ate in the overflow room.

So, there I was sitting front and center listening to Senator Obama, who could possibly be the next President of our United States of America, and one of the first sentences out of his mouth put all of us in government on notice (and helped me start my intended blog)…. He appeared to look each and every one of us directly in the eye and pointed his hand and said vehemently…"GOVERNMENT must be the SOLUTION to the NEEDS of communities, and NOT THE PROBLEM".

Those words resonated within my head for the rest of our meetings in Miami, and all of the colleagues and elected officials I ran into were into the buzz. We must be the solution.

Well, I am so proud to let our community know, that in a HUGE WAY, Washtenaw County and ETCS has implemented ACCESS POINTS, as a solution; as a way of doing more with less, as a way of letting the community help itself, by reaching out to many who we would never have reached out to in traditional ways, and therefore making a difference in the way government does business.

So what are ACCESS POINTS? They are volunteer sites in the community where Faith-based and community-based organization get trained by ETCS staff.

These sites are extensions of the Michigan Works Services Center and help job seekers access job leads and services that they would ordinarily learn about by physically travelling to our Center (located at Hamilton and Harriet Streets in Ypsilanti).

Now, instead of spending gas to access the service and sit face to face with a real person, they can go to their area church or to a place of worship or community organization in their own neighborhood. And what’s more- Access Points don’t hold traditional 8:30am – 5:00pm office hours. Some are open on Saturdays and Sundays – some as early as 9am and others as late as 8pm.

How about that for access?

The other good news about these Access Points is that there are 29 of them all over the County. (Each of the nation's 629 designated work areas were required to have two (2)... which is why WASHTENAW COUNTY IS FAMOUS!)

Our ACCESS POINTS are at all of our Libraries. The Ypsilanti Public Library leads the pack. USDOL (United States Department Of Labor) came and visited their site and was AWESTRUCK!

You will see the signage throughout the County in Milan, Manchester, Chelsea, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor. You will see signs at area churches and places of Churches, SOS, Catholic Churches Services, Jewish Family Services, and Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

In addition to job seeker services, there is counseling, self-taught literacy software, job fairs, field trips, career exploration, job development (one site developed 100 jobs from Toyota), outreach and referral, and much more.

And there are other remarkable things about this initiative… I didn’t hire one person to make this happen!

My staff readjusted their workload to make it happen. They are a truly committed team. We didn’t buy one single new computer. Washtenaw County IT department donated computers from their "technology graveyard". We learned to do more with less.

The volunteers are so great at the Access Points we dub them Ambassadors. USDOL came out for a visit, and gave them and the County Commissioners recognitions and awards as well as a small Performance for Excellence Grant as being an outstanding leader in the field.

We are now taking this to the B-side --getting "business" involved and committed. The Ambassadors meet bi-monthly to review and evaluate its goals and get technical assistance from community specialists. Diane Keller, CEO, Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce visited the Ambassadors to talk about business involvement in the community. Jesse Bernstein, CEO from the Ann Arbor Area Chamber is scheduled soon. The Christian Business Coalition will meet with them in September and hopefully will "adopt" the Access Points and provide additional resources to the sites.

My only regret about this is we didn’t discover Access Points years ago. What a way to go!!! I am so grateful and proud of everyone who makes this all works.

Let me know your ideas, what you think, and how we can make things even better.

Post No. 5: The Great Idea

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:36:01 GMT

Multicolored pixels swarm around my screen, coalescing into the form of Thom Yorke's face. He’s singing the chorus, "Denial, Denial." No cameras were used in the creation of this video. That’s right. No cameras.

Everything — the singer, other actors, and the scenery — was captured with a combination of Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR. Two technologies, initially developed for high-detail scans of rock formations, buildings and the like, are now being repurposed to create innovative visuals for a music video. The page I'm viewing is part of a larger online-only marketing schema that includes donation-paid digital releases and remix promotions to engage fans, giving winners exposure via music download and social networking sites.

What a great idea.

Practically everywhere I go these days, I find myself surrounded by great ideas. New creations formed from the merging of multiple concepts, processes or technologies.

I'm waiting in the first floor lobby of the Ann Arbor District Library. My appointment is late. It’s quite some time since I visited here. While I wait, I wander around to get the lay of the metaphorical land. To my left, there’s a row of gleaming iMacs, each beckoning me to search for and self-checkout titles … or go online to manage my personal account. To my right, a sign reminds me to register my laptop at the front desk for free wireless access. Upstairs, artwork… framed prints... presumably available for checkout. What a great idea, I think to myself. Utilizing readily available technologies and a broader variety of material, the AADL is not only increasing interaction with current library goers, but also enticing a new generation to take a look.

For a while now, I’ve believed that the next generation of great ideas will emerge by combining existing tools and models into new hybrids. The developing success of ventures like Twitter, the iPhone and Pownce confirm those beliefs.

I'm sitting street-side at an evening meeting over drinks with a friend. The topics of conversation are many and varied. My friend begins telling me about a book she read called The Medici Effect. The basic premise intrigues me.

"The Medicis were a banking family in Florence who funded creators from a wide range of disciplines. Thanks to this family and a few others like it, sculptors, scientists, poets, philosophers, ?nanciers, painters, and architects converged upon the city of Florence. There they found each other, learned from one another, and broke down barriers between disciplines and cultures. Together they forged a new world based on new ideas — what became known as the Renaissance. As a result, the city became the epicenter of a creative explosion, one of the most innovative eras in history. The effects of the Medici family can be felt even to this day."

She explains that the Medici Effect occurs when extraordinary ideas result from bringing together various disciplines and cultures, and searching for places where they connect. The idea seems as though it’s cut from the cloth of my own imagination. Like when you discover there's a word for something you’ve felt for a long time. What a great concept. I immediately search for the book.

In the introduction, there’s an example of an architect who's tasked with designing an energy efficient building for an insurance and real estate conglomerate in Zimbabwe, where the temperature ranges from 100 degrees during the day to below 40 at night. The intersection of his knowledge with the building techniques of an indigenous termite and modern green construction results in an amazing structure. One that maintains an internal average temperature of 77- 73 degrees and uses only 10% of the energy as compared to its surrounding neighbors. What a great idea.

The world is full of these. Great ideas. Simple ideas. Purposeful ideas. Ideas that utilize the best of available concepts, models and technology. Whether it’s a web-savvy band and their liberal repurposing of military, retail and social-networking components. Or a generation-savvy district library that insightfully combines technology and content to increase accessibility. Or an architect who uses insects as inspiration for energy-efficient buildings.

What makes an idea great? Originality? Ingenuity? Functionality? Accessibility? One thing’s for sure, there will always be great ideas to discover. And entrepreneurs with a protean sense of ability – like the Strategic Expeditioners described in my first post – will be the catalysts for future creativity.

Post 4: Leap of Faith

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Caution: Not suitable for the technology faint-of-heart…

* * * *

"We put up a website to help us with our marketing," says the man coyly … as he looks at his wife across the table. I sense insecurity in his voice.

We are sitting in a Mexican restaurant enjoying a quiet, friendly lunch. The unavoidable topic of occupation has steered our social conversation in the direction of work-related matters. They are interested in my views on their marketing. I listen politely as he explains his strategy.

"Yeah, a friend of ours is into marketing. We have a video on our site that uses this technology that allows us to track who’s viewed it." To what end, I think to myself. As he turns to look at me, his eyes tell me he’s thinking the same thing.

The couple owns a small business. Their story is a common one. Faced with an increasingly competitive industry, they want to create a marketing edge by using Internet technology — with little or no understanding of what they are choosing and why. This often stems from a desire to try something “new” without first establishing knowledge of what is and isn’t working with their current marketing. Lacking the strategic or technical expertise to properly evaluate a technology, they decide to experiment. While experimentation can be a useful learning tool, there’s a thin line between a carefully targeted experiment and firing blindly. It seems to me this couple is participating in the latter. I wonder … what are their expectations?

They’re not completely to blame. Current technological trends have continued to introduce an ever-broadening array of component-based solutions to the non-technical masses. Thus leading to significant confusion. More tools with more capabilities and all the gee-whiz-bang-for-your-buck you could ever imagine. Tools that are easier to use — and don’t require a degree in computer science to integrate — are fast becoming the norm. Technology providers are getting wise to the concept of community development platforms, creating developer toolkits and allowing third-parties to help create the next generation of products. In essence, products built for their customers, by their customers.

However, out of that model, a new challenge arises. Increased access drives the demand for increased education. The need for technical understanding hasn’t really changed; it’s just changed positions. Now the question becomes “what do we integrate” instead of how. They ask this as they rub their hands together, eagerly eyeing the smorgasbord of plug-and-play features … often without the insight about what to implement or why. The focus is on the tool and not the relevance of the tool. A new challenge and a new set of responsibilities.

With the void increasing between those who use … and those who build and understand … a new technocracy is developing. And in the middle somewhere is the truth about ROI. Also worth considering is the number of unsubstantiated myths about the value of popular measurement methods — click-throughs and page views — because these metrics do not actually correlate to revenue generated. Things like relevance analysis and conversion mapping — tracing the roadmap of website viewing to actual prospects gained or purchases made — often are omitted until after the tools are implemented. As the void between myth and reality increases, small business owners are putting a lot more faith in the technical consultants they engage.

As for my dining companions and their website experiment, it appears they made that leap of faith when teaming up with the video-toting consultant. I hope he’s done his research. If not, they’ll likely find the results too hit-or-miss for their taste or their marketing goals.

Post No 3: A Cause for Pause

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:27:35 GMT

You can learn a lot about a person by how they spend their free time.

Seeing that it’s the weekend, I opt not to work. Instead, I seek to unwind with alternate activities.

The thing about continual multi-tasking during the week is that you can only do it for so long before your productivity is depleted. Pile on a week’s worth of responsibility-induced stress and inefficient amounts of sleep … and you’re pretty much out of fuel by Friday. One must have alternate activities to re-energize the brain.

I meander my way into my office and flip open my laptop. Not to research a strategic opportunity or write yet another business proposal. Instead, I activate Reason — my virtual music studio of choice — plug in my keyboard and begin doodling with some melodies that have been bouncing around in my head for the past few days. Composing allows me to engage my creative problem-solving skills without the added stress of timelines or external expectations. The compositions are simply what they end up being. It’s truly therapeutic. And it’s always a kick to hear people’s thoughts on my work once it’s released.

I remember, years ago, when I used to paint to unwind, but that ended about the time I became an Art Director. Suddenly, painting felt too much like “work” to be truly enjoyable – too reminiscent of the daily grind. Not relaxing … no re-energizing there.

In response to my first post, Man with no Name, a friend noted that the question “what do you do for a living?” is a very American one. She explained that, in her international travels, this was not commonly asked. In fact, she further revealed that it is considered uninteresting and even rude. Perhaps we readily ask it because of our western 9-to-5 sensibility or a more materially focused orientation. Whatever the case, it’s an ideology that’s woven deep within us — the thought that what defines a person is what they do to earn a living. It’s a concept that doesn’t hold up in practical observation. How many aspiring artists, actors, lawyers and the like are currently working in occupations that are not their vocation or calling? We live in a society that prefers to define people by their occupation. Yet knowing how a person earns a paycheck does not inherently mean knowing the person at all.

Conversely, I think what a person does for recreation, relaxation … or even passion … can reflect a lot more about them. Perhaps the problem is that many of us don’t make the time to take time off — we’re far too preoccupied with our paycheck-driven work.

I ponder that thought as I transition to the Internet to scout for early reviews of my latest electronic music release. One kind reviewer has given a favorable rating — though he mistakenly attributes my work to another artist. Interestingly, I notice he’s comparing one of my tracks to the work of Bruce Hornsby & The Range. I laugh at the reference, because it was the furthest thing from my mind when I wrote it. I sample a little of that artist’s work on iTunes and fail to see the similarity.

I muse at how different the connections are between reviewer and composer … between observer and participant. How we perceive others on the surface versus a deeper appreciation of their being — the things that serve to ignite and inspire them … or simply provide respite from their work-a-day world. Those much more intriguing, not-so-obvious layers that perhaps underscore and inform their next composition … their next body of work – whether it’s for pay or simply play.

I once asked my insightful friend, in an attempt to learn more about her, what she did to relax. Being of particularly varied interests, she cited cooking, reading, photography, crocheting, and dancing around her house when no one is watching as some of her methods. Her answer doesn’t surprise me. She’s one of the most creative people I know. I imagine there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

After a few more minutes of browsing the search engines, I tire of the computer and decide to go to the park. It is, after all, Sunday. And wasn’t that once a day of rest?

Post No 2: Pyrrhic Victory

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have three distinct feelings.

One is a lump in my throat. I feel this when a film is particularly good and gets me emotionally. Another is a chill down my spine. I feel this when a singer-songwriter has assembled a particularly stunning arrangement. The third is a lump of coal in my stomach. This is the feeling I get when something is circumstantially out of whack. It guides me like an inner voice of reason.

It's the latter that I am feeling right now. I've experienced it many times in my life and each time it's led me true. And that's why … despite sitting in a trendy café in Brooklyn's beautiful Carroll Gardens, at a charming table on a perfect sunny day, across from a pair of pleasantly smiling faces … I know something is off. A follow-up conference call the next day will reveal exactly what that is.

"Your proposal was impressive. Your turnaround time was amazing, and you nailed exactly what we want to accomplish with this project. We really like you. We think you have right mix of understanding and skills to help us execute our vision," says the pleasant female voice on the phone — a prospect we had been courting for several days now. "But…" I think to myself.

"But, we were hoping to bring the budget in at a third of what you've quoted." And there it is. The lump of coal never lies.

Over the years, I've witnessed the repeat offense committed by many businesses. It's the crime of under-valuation. In their quest to stretch budget dollars as far as possible by cutting all non-essentials, they actually cut into essentials. Shortchanging their business in ways they won't even realize until it's too late. In many cases, it isn't about the expense; it's the misguided idea that cheap is better than good. And quality can always be appended later -- as though it were some sort of accessory and not the cornerstone of any professional execution.

The scars of less-is-good-enough thinking can be seen on the malformed business models that remain once the repercussions surface. Companies whose sales are horribly maligned due to technology acquisitions based more on price than function or scalability. Strategic growth targets that have no hope of being reached because salaries were set far too low to attract and retain the specialized talent required for success. Unholy sums of money burned up in a flash by re-executing improperly selected or poorly implemented technologies. Or worse yet, by failed initiatives altogether.

The annals of technology history are a wasteland of implementation strategies that seemed sound at the time. Leaving in their wake the disenchanted, frustrated or downright burned. While always endorsing a healthy skepticism in business matters, I have lost count of how many people developed a near-xenophobic fear of technology initiatives. Running and hiding under their desks in panic at the mere mention of database migration, CRM integration or the like. I once saw a company's entire technology division disappear (jobs and all) because executives feared the unknown.

Yet, when advised to maintain a sense of balance and realism in scoping a technology initiative, these selfsame groups respond with a litany of empty business reasoning, misinformed hypotheses and plain old myopic thinking. In the end, they have their way. Because there's always someone who will claim they can do it cheaper or faster regardless of how large a miracle it might logically take. After all, the client is always right. They get their price. They have their victory, but at what cost?

The lump of coal never lies. This prospect I'm talking to now is a lost cause. Her reasoning on why this is "the right move" is so familiar I could say it before she does. "We recognize that what we asked for is complex and expensive, and yet it all has to be there."

Later on, I hear they found someone to do everything for a third of the original estimate. By their own admission, it's a friend who is significantly less capable than we are. I shudder to think what they'll be given. The simple truth is they don't fully understand how intricate and labor-intensive the project's scope actually is.

On my flight home, I find myself wondering if they feel that lump of coal in their stomachs, somehow hinting that this victory was a battle not worth winning. Perhaps a month, a quarter or a year from now … when the project is technology road-kill … they, too, will learn to heed their internal voice of reason.

Post No 1: Man With No Name

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What follows are stories, vignettes and little narratives that describe one perspective of the world. Perhaps it's one you share.

"So what is it exactly that you do?" The inquirer and his companions look at me intently. Likely realizing I have never volunteered that information before. Adhering to the strict rule of never mixing business and pleasure, I don't often talk about work in social settings. Yet I find myself inevitably pulled into the topic of discussion. Today is a perfect example.

When asked this question, I'm always struck with finding an effective way to respond. I have not yet discovered exactly the formal name for what I do. Depending on what initiatives are under way at the time, the title might be Creative Strategist, Aesthetic Engineer, Brand Image Consultant, Technologist, and so on. In all honesty, these are just fancy names for a modern-day Jack-of-All-Trades — a Professional Swiss Army Knife, if you will. No stand-alone description describes what I do. At any given moment, I might require multiple skills to solve myriad problems during my latest expedition.

I counter with a clever, semi-self-deprecating joke to throw them off the scent. The group smirks at my wry wit. But the primary inquisitor persists, "No really." He will not be deterred.

I think I just don't like the question … because every time I answer, people respond with either continued bewilderment or non-geek disinterest. It's probably because what I do isn't really as interesting as why I do it. For me, the reward is in the result. This quest to strongly impact the outcome lead me to add an ever-broadening skill set to my professional repertoire. First, as illustrator and graphic designer, then as web developer and designer, and finally as marketing and business development strategist.

The latter two-thirds is where it really got interesting. For a time, I was simply a creative — like many of my artistic contemporaries — content to let the engineers deal with the messiness of building what we designed. Once I crossed the divide and became a creative who could also script and code, something interesting happened: developers took an interest and started showing me their tricks. Before long they were teaching me things that stretched far beyond mere aesthetics. Suddenly I was no longer "just a creative," morphing into an Interactive Experience Weaver. I also discovered something else: there were others like me — creatives who had spliced their artistic genes with engineering chromosomes, learning new skills and crafting some truly remarkable things.

I found my new skills took me all over the country … then all over the world. Agencies large and small clamored for the benefits of a multi-tasking, multi-functioning, elegantly pivoting player — part creative, part developer. But I didn't stop there. I went further … imagining the strategic benefits that could be experienced by a brand or company when technology becomes synchronized with business goals instead of despite them. What a concept! I began to toy with business models — researching market needs, designing technological products to satisfy those needs, and building emerging companies around those products. Suddenly I was a Strategic Technologist. And I wasn't alone. There were others like me. Completely comfortable toggling between pragmatic business strategist and technological dreamer. They could spot a trend, tell the difference between a fad and a paradigm shift, and build a fresh strategy around it.

As they moved up the responsibility (and pay) scale, there became a new hybrid of executive – the Strategic Expeditioner. An extreme adventurer with the ability to anticipate the right direction, adeptly evaluate each potential course, and react quickly, thoughtfully, efficiently. Leading the right moves with an innate understanding of the technology that drives our lives and sets our next direction.

What I found was this. Although the new breed's skill was highly sought, many established businesses were slow to adapt to the look, shape and agility of the Expeditioner. In fact, in most large companies, very little had changed. Us new adventurers found ourselves unable to access all of our capabilities, skills and interests. The companies we teamed up with had titles and roles they were loath to change. So, frustrated, we tore off on our own and began creating — without advent of a regular paycheck or health care — seeking better results through versatility, impact and elegant control.

As newer technologies and techno-centric social movements arise, some sense the oncoming capabilities crunch, challenging the more traditional strategic minds. Within the established business world, some are coming to terms with our existence — realizing their business need for such flexible, skilled thinkers and doers. Creating hybrid positions that are defined more by outstanding challenges than by traditional roles and responsibilities. But a lot more structural change is needed if established companies hope to successfully engage and retain us. At the heart of the matter, the old guard does not yet fully understand the multi-tasking, layered-thinking type of explorer.

Much like my inquirers now.

Their gaze is fixed upon me with keen interest, waiting on my reply. What name will I give myself this time?

Post 5: The Organic Revolution

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There’s evidence that my generation, those of us in 30-45 will outlive our children. We will outlive our children. Children are being born predisposed to disease at higher rates than just 10 years ago. Childhood obesity and cancer rates are soaring. I’m convinced it’s because of the toxic ingredients in food and the consumption of non-foods. If that isn’t scary I don’t know what is.

I became interested in organics when my sister-in-law, a young vibrant 26-year-old was dying from a genetic disease. She knew she didn’t have much longer to live. One night when visiting her in the hospital, I picked up a magazine. There was an article about the growing number of chemicals in food and topical products and how many of these chemicals are now linked to cancer, infertility, ADD and other ‘common’ diseases. I remember being very moved. Here was a young woman, knowing whatever she did to her body at that time wasn’t going to make much difference, but was still concerned about what she put in it and her continual drive to learn. She fueled my interest and passion for knowledge about the world of organics.

Michael Pollan’s recent book, In Defense of Food explores how and where our food system has gone very wrong. The demand for more food ‘like’ products is driving the wedge between real food and government policies in the interest of profit over purity.

Science has provided many advances. But the science of food engineering is dangerous. Genetically modified food is the beginning of a culture in which our food won’t come from the ground or a tree, but a test tube. Scary. Because of government subsidies, the push to develop the latest and greatest low-fat snack crackers is of course driven by profit. Something Pollan calls ‘nutritional inflation’.

I was excited to see last weeks’ Crain’s front page article on a growing organic business and editorial on the urban garden movement in Detroit. Attendance at local farmer’s markets is increasing, membership in CSA’s (community supported agriculture) is increasing. Organic and raw food classes at the Detroit Evolution Laboratory are popular.

Michigan is in the throws of trying to diversify the economy in the technology sector, alternative energies and bio fuels, creating jobs and opportunities and a shift in our way of thinking and living. Organic agriculture needs to be part of the equation and Michigan has wonderful resources to position itself as more people demand locally and organically grown food. Eco’pure’neurs are emerging with this shift and will lead the way creating environmental and community-based, sustainable, healthy & ethical businesses.

It’s interesting how we’re so worried about gas prices, but not so worried about the world’s food shortage. The two are interchangeably linked. It’s not getting better with the world’s food demands increasing. China and India consume 1,000 acres of farmable land every day to build new automotive plants. Many economics believe that in the next 10 years, China will see a famine.

I’m often asked about the price and value of organics. Organic is not a trend, it’s a lifestyle and a realignment of priorities. Ask anyone whether they’d rather eat an apple that’s grown with or without pesticides. It’s an obvious choice, but for many it comes down to cost and perceived value. It’s the ‘pay it forward’ principle.

Now, I don’t mean to sound elitist or snooty. I do eat non-organic food or I’d starve in Michigan and I realize that there are many people, many here in our own town that cannot afford a simple meal yet alone buy organic. And, that is part of the problem. That’s where education comes in helping to drive demand and drive down price.

For more information visit the Organic Consumers Association

Post 3: Can you still drive an SUV and be ‘green’?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We all have guilty pleasures and mine, unfortunately is my SUV. Although, my job requires me to lug stuff around and I like road trips, I don’t have a family of 10 or shop at Costco and buy 50 rolls of toilet paper, so technically I don't need the cargo space.

However, when faced with a new car purchase three years ago, I made my choice based on a lifestyle of safety and convenience while I’m one of those crazy people that still buys a car, then keeps it until the floor drops out.

My concept of safety and convenience has changed dramatically the past three years. Since my SUV purchase it now translates into making more sustainable choices, and more importantly being conscious everyday of the products I buy and taking steps to eliminate, reduce or balance them with other actions.

I recently had lunch with a city councilman in one of Woodward’s smaller communities. He’s fortunate to work mainly from home. I couldn’t help but laugh when shared a recent experience carrying a 40lb. bag of dog food home from a local pet store – on his scooter! Now that literally takes balance! Now, he admitted he may not do it too frequently, but the point is he made a conscious effort. We discussed the unpopularity of driving an SUV these days, mentioning how it’s still more economical and responsible to drive an SUV a shorter distance, than a smaller vehicle a longer distance.

This personal evolution is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies businesses and corporations are clamoring to develop. Now, it’s not just good enough to support their local community and demonstrate sound corporate citizenship, but the name of the game is influencing and measuring employee behavior and buying habits and the impact on the greater good resulting in increased corporate culture and productivity.

I find this concept fascinating but still trying to figure out who’s legit and producing measurable results or just jumping into the 'green' game for good PR.

A recent article on Worldchanging.com mentioned the cynicism surrounding many CSR and green efforts citing whether or not small behavioral changes really make an impactful difference towards a more sustainable future.

I beg to differ. Many of the most important political and social changes of our time have come from one or a series of small actions resulting in a groundswell or major movement towards change. Maybe it’s just the idealist in me.

So, until I put a "for sale" sign on my SUV (or the floor falls out), I can continue down the path of conscious change. And, be thankful I live in one of the ‘most fuel efficient neighborhoods in metro Detroit’

Post 4: Enjoying the Ride

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:23:37 GMT

I thought I’d try it. I’ve never done it before. Not in15 years at least. Ride my bike to work. So I did it one morning last week. I have a simple bike. The kind of you peddle backwards, you stop. No fancy brand, no fancy gears, tires or bells and whistles (actually I do have a bell). It was harder than I thought.

I admire people who ride on a regular basis. We’ve all seen them. The diehards. Peddling away rain or shine avoiding stares, glares and beeps from passing motorists.

7 miles that’s all it was. 3.5 miles each way. It took me 40 minutes. I rode the sidewalks doing my best to avoid construction, cracks, bumps, tree branches, water and cars (especially cars approaching intersections with no knowledge a pedestrian or cyclist possibly coming from the opposite direction). I noted areas where there were no approaches or areas in desperate need or repair.

The ride helped me slow down – literally and enjoy the ride and be aware of everything around me. The ride helped be reflect: how many times have I, as a motorist, crossed over a sidewalk with my car or come to the end of a block and look for oncoming traffic and haven’t seen someone walking or riding on the sidewalk? How many times have I been completely unconscious of things around me, whether it’s work or my personal life. Plenty of times.

I learned how peaceful and beautiful an early summer morning is. I learned I made the choice to do ride of bike, many don’t have the choice. I will do it again.

Efforts are underway to make Woodward Avenue more accessible and pedestrian friendly. Communities will soon be asked to adopt a plan outlining various criteria and guidelines for improving crosswalks. Communities that follow the plan and have ready projects will likely qualify for design and engineering funding through National Scenic Byway dollars. Some already have already qualified like the City of Berkley and UCCA. Many other ideas and efforts are encouraged, many of which Mark Nickita addressed in his previous blog posts, but is worth reading again if you haven’t already. All in an effort to enhance pedestrian and non-motorized activity and quality of life.

So, will I choose to ride my bike again especially on days when I have to dress for meetings, or it rains? Probably not. Because I know I don’t have to. I’m sure there are many people who ride that don’t need to either. But, some people don’t have the choice.

Post No 2: Reinventing Quality of Life

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Forbes magazine recently cited Woodward Avenue as one America’s "most fuel efficient neighborhoods". If I could rewrite the headline I’d call it "Woodward Avenue communities enhance quality of life".

Five years ago many Woodward communities wouldn’t dare mention the word ‘transit’. Now it’s part of regular dialogues.

Three years ago, communities didn’t know what the acronym TOD meant. Now, three Woodward communities – Huntington Woods, Pontiac and Ferndale – have included specific language in their master plans encouraging Transit Oriented Development and State Rep. Marie Donigan is proposing legislation to offer incentives to developers and communities as a tool for economic development.

Two years ago, a community garden was considered an interim use for an underutilized parcel of land. Now communities are putting urban gardens into land use plans as viable, livable, desirable and profitable community development options.

Two years ago, crosswalks were an afterthought in many planning and physical improvements. Now communities are realizing and residents are demanding crosswalks in areas once void of pedestrian activity.

Dan Barden, a well-known community planner and founder of Walkable Communities Inc. in his 12 years of work advocating for walkable communities, Silicon Valley as an example, that most people don’t live near their work. They have high levels of income, education and you would think high standard of living, but many Silicon Valley employees have horrendous commutes and work in tech parks and ultimately studies have shown they’re less happy. Not something the business attractions folks are promoting I’m sure.

Generally, quality of life is measured in terms of access to the things we value most - jobs, safe streets, affordable transportation and housing, and quality health care, schools, parks, etc. All of these things are challenging us to assess and helping shape different attitudes about what community and quality of life means.

I hope we can all keep and pick up pace.