What makes the U.P. an attractive place to live?
HOUGHTON — What makes a place more attractive to residents and businesses? ABC 10’s Rick Allen shows how some communities are trying to find out.
It’s really quite simple, people want to live in communities that meet their needs and businesses want to open up in places that have the best people. Community leaders attended a seminar in Houghton that focused on what is called Placemaking.
MSU Extension Government & Public Policy Educator Brad Neumann said, “Placemaking is the process of creating high quality place that people want to live, work, shop, learn. Really, it’s a community development approach to creating places with high sense of place, high quality of life.”
The Copper Country is rich in natural amenities but there are opportunities to improve urban centers…making them more attractive to talented individuals.
Businesses look for places where there is talent and communities thrive on businesses coming to their town. It’s a healthy cycle that appeals to many of the local urban centers.
L’Anse Village Manager Bob LaFave said, “I really am interested in making my community more walkable and creating those places where people feel comfortable and inviting for people, so they can expand the opportunities for both the residents and businesses to succeed and thrive.”
The Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region has Placemaking Micro–Grants available for communities to kick off high impactful projects like farmer’s markets, pocket parks and trail systems.
Applications are available on their website, www.wuppdr.org.