This Co-Learning Plan project evaluates whether wireless communication using community anchor-based Low-Power-Wide-Area-Network (LPWAN) models can realistically support intermittent, low-data-rate transmission in under representative rural conditions in Michigan, with the goal of informing planning and investment decisions for low-connectivity communities. Rural Michigan communities face persistent challenges related to limited broadband access in regions where cellular coverage is unreliable or nonexistent. In these settings, limited connectivity constrains the remote delivery of direct care and the ability to connect older adults and agricultural workers to timely support services, increasing reliance on in-person check-ins, and travel-intensive workflows. Using AI-assisted analysis of field-based communication performance, this project will evaluate system feasibility and practical constraints. By providing affordable communication devices to underserved rural areas in Michigan, this project will establish a foundation to improve delivery of direct care services, while creating opportunities for new and expanded employment in healthcare delivery, technical support, and community-based service coordination in rural communities. Through field studies and community engagement, this project will create a pathway for the reliable deployment of affordable care products tailored to the needs of Michiganders. ​

This Co-Learning Plan examines ecosystem-based economic development models that prioritize shared ownership, democratic finance, and community-centered investment over extractive, single-entity ownership, with a focus on ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) households. Using Ecorse, Michigan as a case study—a community that aligns with Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) principles and includes Opportunity Zone tracts—the project will assess how models such as community land trusts, cooperatives, and place-based investment ecosystems can stabilize small businesses, retain jobs, and build long-term local economic resilience in distressed communities. The analysis will synthesize policy research, practitioner interviews, and on-the-ground data to produce practical tools, strategies, and recommendations for Michigan economic developers and policymakers seeking equitable, scalable approaches to revitalization. Final deliverables include an ecosystem framework for shared ownership models applicable to small Michigan communities, a practitioner checklist for economic developers considering CLTs and cooperatives, and policy recommendations aligned with Michigan’s housing and economic development goals. 

This Regional Economic Innovation (REI) Co-Learning Plan will propose methods for rural communities in Michigan to utilize Community Benefit Agreements and Ordinances. This practice has been used infrequently in Michigan to date, and primarily in urban centers like Detroit. However, rural areas with large, relatively lower priced lands have been targeted for development in recent years, with data centers representing the most publicized example. Michigan’s rural communities may consider Community Benefit Agreements and Ordinances to ensure that large-scale developments that use high amounts of infrastructure and natural resources are balanced by negotiated positive outcomes for the community.