The Land Information Access Association (LIAA) is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit community service organization. Our Mission: Helping people shape better communities through participation, education, information and the effective use of technology.
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Resilient Communities
Resilient Monroe is the first in a series of cooperative planning efforts focused on integrating economic resilience and climate resilience into the local master planning process. This land-use planning and community design project is focused on the City of Monroe, Frenchtown Charter Township, and Monroe Charter Township. Through a series of Community Action Team meetings, a Community Planning Survey, a charrette, youth engagement efforts, and stakeholder interviews, the citizens and leaders of Monroe are working together to strengthen the community's ability to manage changes and challenges of all kinds - and to thrive. The Resource Atlas presents a culmination of community analysis and recommendations and will be used to inform the local jurisdictional master plan updates.
New Websites Promote Activity and Local Food
Eat Local Berrien is one of two new websites from SWMPC
The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission recently brought online two new websites using LIAA's asset mapping software built on our Community Center content management platform. These sites are part of a project to promote healthy living in Berrien County. Be Active Berrien helps residents find places to play, get outside, and pursue and active lifestyle. Eat Local Berrien helps residents find places to enjoy both locally grown and locally produced edibles.
Leveraging Trails for Community and Economic Development
Once considered undesirable and unnecessary infrastructure, trails have instead proved to be valuable amenities for most communities. Trails not only increase nearby property values, they contribute to a vibrant sense of place and offer new economic development potential. Check out our take on “ Trail Towns” in this Michigan Township News cover story by LIAA planner Harry Burkholder.
Michigan's Great Lakes Water Trails
Paddling Michigan's Beautiful Coastline
LIAA is working with Michigan Sea Grant and coastal communities all over the state to catalog and digitally map Great Lakes water trails. The information will be displayed on a new website to give residents and visitors alike a common starting point to access localized water trail info for Michigan’s Great Lakes coasts. This project is supported by Michigan’s Coastal Management Program.
Website Designed by LIAA Recognized with Prestigious National Trailblazer Award
A collaborative regional tourism website designed by LIAA has again received top national honors for helping to support economic growth and community sustainability along Michigan’s Lake Huron coast. On the heels of an Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG) received NADO's Trailblazer Award for the US 23 Heritage Route program, a six-county collaboration that works to promote coastal northeast Michigan along the 200-mile-long US 23 Heritage Route corridor. Visit the site and learn more at www.heritage23.org.
Ecorse Emerges: LIAA Documentary Tells a Story of Hope as Citizens Prepare for an End to Emergency Financial Management
 LIAA has produced a short documentary film detailing the development of a citizen-led vision for the City of Ecorse as the downriver Detroit community prepares to emerge from emergency financial management. “ Ecorse Emerges” is a 24-minute film chronicling an intensive community visioning process designed and facilitated by LIAA in cooperation with the Michigan Municipal League (MML) and community leaders. The process, known as Envision Ecorse, brought community residents together to define a shared vision and set goals for the future of Ecorse. The citizen-led effort will help guide the actions of public officials, civic leaders and others well into the future, providing a foundation for the city’s transition away from emergency management and providing a blueprint for for civic engagement in communities across Michigan. Read the news release, a great post from the Economics of Place blog, and this op-ed from the Detroit News.
The Economics of Place: The Value of Building Communities Around People
LIAA's expertise is tapped in a book that presents a compelling path to restoring and building prosperity in Michigan communities. Published by the Michigan Municipal League, “The Economics of Place” includes expert perspectives from researchers, entrepreneurs, practitioners and urbanists on the importance of place and its vital role as an economic growth strategy. Dr. Joe VanderMeulen, executive director of LIAA, contributed a chapter on placemaking and resilient communities.
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More LIAA News...
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Make your own TV programming and videos! The UpNorth Media Center, housed at LIAA, provides media training, equipment, webcasting and cablecasting to residents of northwest Michigan.
Visit LIAA's Partnerships for Change Program to learn more about innovative cooperative planning efforts being implemented statewide.
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