The Michigan Municipal League is supporting eight communities with development projects. Those projects are part of the PlacePlan program.
It's a partnership between Michigan State University, the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan State Housing Authority. The projects are focused on increasing economic activity in those communities.
Luke Forest is with the Michigan Municipal League. He says these projects will make Michigan cities more attractive to employers and young people.
"The projects are focused on things like increasing walking and biking traffic, more downtown development, quality public spaces like parks and urban pockets," he said.
Forest says each project costs about fifty thousand dollars. Each city is matching the funding from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
One project in southwest Detroit is working to redevelop a blighted area.
"The idea is to make it kind of a public square, to be a center for employment and the sale of local goods and a community meeting place and a destination," he said.
Including Detroit, participating cities are Cadillac, Flint, Holland, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Marquette and Midland.
-Sarah Kerson, Michigan Radio Newsroom
