EDA UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR Regional Economic Innovation

This study will answer the overarching question of, ‘Is establishing a county parks and recreation director for Benzie County feasible based on current conditions?’ The purpose of this project is to help the Benzie County Recreation Commission and the...

Shiawassee County is a low-population rural county that lacks the resources commonly found in larger metropolitan areas. The existing capacity for change is limited, and the County’s fragmentation of local government entities creates unique identities and...

With this fellowship, there is the opportunity to assist Copper Country residents in two ways. The first is to work with Keweenaw County residents to learn about, research and vet potential municipally-owned renewable generation sites and also consider which types of generation yield...

The Village of Sebewaing is in the beginning stages of their first Master Plan in over thirty years. To include the Village's wonderful yet underutilized natural resources, this plan will take into account factors unique to Sebewaing. Due to budget constraints, this fiscally distressed...

The City of Durand is in the process of updating its 2004 Downtown Economic Enhancement Strategy. Home to roughly 3,400 residents, the City hosts a population that is 64% low to moderate income (LMI). The community has made great strides to improve and beautify the downtown district, but it still...

This project focused on the automobile-oriented Fairlane Planning Area located in the center of the City. Dearborn planners inspired the students to develop a redevelopment project to integrate the mall site with the rest of the Dearborn community. It was the City's goal to partner with MSU...

By creating a vision plan and economic development strategy for the Dix-Vernor Corridor, the City of Dearborn will be able to take advantage of planning and redevelopment efforts to improve the Dix-Vernor District.

Project Updated As Of September 30th, 2016

This project focused on the economic contribution of festivals in small and medium sized cities along with a case study of the impact of East Lansing's Summer Solstice Jazz Festival (SSJF). The emphasis was on measuring and assessing the financial impact of community arts and cultural...

This project was an impact study of the health and economic costs of pollution in Southwest Detroit. The main objective of the study was to apply existing knowledge and evidence about health impacts in Southwest Detroit to specific social and community contexts.

Project Updated As Of...

The Cardinal Policy Institute researched the feasibility of a regional public transit authority for the Great Lakes Bay region. Using examples of successful regional mass transit authorities, this system intended connect Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, Birch Run, Mt. Pleasant, and Standish...

This project focused on updating the five year Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan of Inkster, Michigan. It involved public listening sessions, a mail survey to a sample of registered voters, and development of a draft plan.

Project Updated As Of September 30th, 2014

The Flint Cultural Center (FCC) offers great potential to serve community interests and needs to leverage tourism, to foster creativity and knowledge development, and to serve as an anchor for placemaking around Flint. This project used the FCC as a case study in economic development potential...

This project identified whether a bike share program could be successful as a placemaking element, providing an additional, green transportation choice to residents and visitors in a smaller urban area with key tourism, recreation, and cultural assets. The objectives of the proposed Bike Share...

The purpose of this project was to help with the revitalization of Idlewild as a tourist destination. To accomplish this, students partnered with the Idlewild Community Development Corporation to assess Idlewild's cultural and historical assets and potential tourist market.

Project...

Working in cooperation with City of Perry representatives, Dr. Chuck Nelson and a number of his graduate and undergraduate student assistants, proposed to update the plan per the specifications of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the eligibility criteria of the MNRTF as...

German urban planning students from Dortmund University School of Architecture teamed up with MSU School of Planning Design and Construction students to conduct a five day visioning session focused on the Meridian Mall property in Okemos, Michigan. The students looked at the property as a blank...

The goal was to enhance the corridor between Baker College and downtown Owosso by focusing on the built environment including connections, gateways, and the streetscape. They wanted to create a sense of place capable of stimulating economic growth and building social equity. This project provided...

The primary goal was to create elements of a Beach Master Plan for the Lake Michigan Beach in Frankfort, including improvements to Cannon Park. The plan addressed parking, pedestrian flow, signage, structural improvements, restroom facility location, sand control, and aesthetics in order to...

The City of Flint created Master Plan in over 50 years in 2013. By spring they developed the various plans that will feed into the Master Plan. The MSU student team conducted a corridor study of South Saginaw from Interstate 69 to Bristol Road, which included a strategy to enhance the quality of...

The St. Martha's Episcopal Church Project was a community-based effort to redevelop and repurpose a 22,000 square foot church located at 15801 Joy Road in Detroit. The church is a part of a commons area anchored by a senior citizen housing complex known as the Village of St. Martha's and...

The short-term goal of this project was to provide the foundation for further development of existing ports by completing an inventory of port and community assets, as well as identifying opportunities and constraints, strategies for future activities, and opportunities for regional...

This project focused on the creation of a land use plan for a currently vacant area. It also included an evaluation of all aspects and characteristics of the area to determine the best re-usage, whether development, future green space, or recreational area.

Project Updated As Of...

The short-term goal of this project was to provide the foundation for further development of existing ports by completing an inventory of port and community assets, as well as identifying opportunities and constraints, strategies for future activities, and opportunities for regional...