New book on The Economics of Place

The Michigan Municipal League (MML) has published a follow-up book to its 2011 The Economics of Place: The Value of Building Communities Around People.

The League, a nonprofit that represents many of the state’s more than 1,500 municipalities, has been a leader in Michigan’s innovative placemaking efforts.

The 2011 book was mostly theoretical: It made the case for placemaking as an economic driver at the macro scale and in local urban centers.

This book, The Economics of Place: The Art of Building Great Communities, is all about implementation, says Dan Gilmartin, the executive director and CEO of the League and a coauthor.

“We drew inspiration from places as diverse as Detroit, Baroda, Marquette, Flint, Grand Rapids and Traverse City in an effort to chronicle the amazing work that is already underway and provide a blueprint for others moving forward. We believe that the book is equally important for those outside of Michigan as it is for those who reside in the Great Lakes State.”

The stories “run the gamut from marketing campaigns and municipal projects to special events and recreational opportunities.”

MML explains that “Central to attracting these important commodities is the concept of PLACE. To be successful communities must effectively develop and leverage their key human, natural, cultural and structural assets and nurture them through enacting effective public policy.”