September & October 2007

A Conversation with Doug Luciani

The Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce has played a prominent role in several land use planning projects. Recently, LIAA interns Richard Manner and Annie Otwell sat down with Chamber President and CEO, Doug Luciani, to talk about the future of growth and land use planning in the greater Traverse City Region.

Smart Growth: An Interview with John Sych

What is Smart Growth and how is it applied?  Grand Traverse County Planning Director, John Sych, provides insight on Smart Growth and several of the techniques that local governments are using to achieve Smart Growth.

Sprawl Defined
Sprawl is a term commonly used by people to describe undesired growth patterns.  LIAA's summer interns conducted several "man on the street" interviews to find out what people in the Grand Traverse region are saying about sprawl and how it is affecting them.

The Answer is Blowing in the Wind
More and more communities in Michigan are examining the potential of "harvesting wind" to produce electricity. In this article, Community Planner Harry Burkholder discusses how a few local residents hope to energize Northern Michigan using the latest technology in wind turbines.

Fall Stream Search 2007
Each spring and fall, volunteers determine the health of tributaries to Grand Traverse Bay by collecting and counting aquatic insects.  Sarah U'Ren, Project Coordinator with the Watershed Center - Grand Traverse Bay, tells us about this fall's Stream Search.  You can also view a new video if you want to know What is Stream Search? and find out about how to Adopt-A-Stream yourself!

Joint Planning Effort Gains Momentum
As we reported in June, a new comprehensive plan for the Bear Lake Community is in the works. Community Planner, Harry Burkholder, who is active in this process, reports on the progress of this rare example of inter-jurisdictional cooperation.