“Handstands will help bring about world peace, for it is when we are upside down that we can best understand an opposing viewpoint.”
Good Regional Planners Are Hard to Find
With more than 1,700 local units of government, Michigan is not a state that readily embraces regional planning. Local control is fervently defended. No big government bureaucrat will tell us how to plan our communities.
Higher Standards: Why I Will Not Shop Meijer
I want to like Meijer. They are a Michigan-based company. They even sell fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers. But they flat-out refuse to respect Acme Township’s right to manage growth and maintain small-town character.
LUTS: So, What Is Holding up the Parade?
Nearly two years ago, 34 people, including yours truly, formed a new community group with a big mission: launch a Land Use and Transportation Study that would allow people in the Grand Traverse region to work together to figure out how they want the area to grow in the coming decades.
What the Heck Is LUTS and How Can It Save the Grand Traverse Region?
You know that sinking feeling we get driving by our favorite orchard and seeing rows of new houses replacing cherry trees? Or when we shop at ugly, new, big-box stores for low prices even though we know we are helping to drive small, local stores out of business? Or when we find ourselves stuck in long lines of traffic just trying to get home for dinner-or take the kids to the beach?