Resources
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Arts & Culture
Up-to-date reports, data, and tools demonstrating the economic, social, and educational benefits of the arts. Resources are intended to be help advance the arts on a local and regional level. Americans for the Arts is a national nonprofit organization that works to advance the arts and arts education on a local, regional, and national level.
A statewide agency dedicated to helping communities cultivate artistic, creative, and cultural activity. The MCACA coordinates grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipalities that provide support for the operation of arts and cultural organizations, art projects, capital improvement, arts education residencies, and projects or collaborations focused on retaining and engaging young people through arts and culture.
An online database that collects information from arts and cultural organizations and disseminates comprehensive data that helps organizations improve their financial and operational capacity; educates researchers, policymakers, and advocates; and helps funders more effectively plan grantmaking activities.
Northsky services nonprofits, governments, and social enterprises in all ten counties with professional development learning opportunities, organizational counseling, consulting services, and other educational resources. Northsky’s online resource center offers an extensive amount of free materials to help organizations become more effective and efficient.
Food & Farming
Acme Township PDR Program
A program for preserving agricultural land. It allows Acme Township to purchase the development rights to working farmland and place it under perpetual conservation easement.
A collaborative site designed to provide access to relevant, timely data to communities, the public, stakeholders in Northwest Michigan.
To be released December 2014
A feasibility study for the creating a “food hub” at the Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City, Michigan.
A voluntary program that provides temporary protection of farmland while benefiting farm families economically and offering services to support the future of their farm operations. Funding for the program comes from the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
A report documenting the responses from a survey of farm producers nearing retirement; and a summary of the findings.
A program focused around offering more local foods in schools cafeterias. Farm to School encompasses other related initiatives such as school garden programs, farmer visits to school classrooms, and school field trips to nearby farms.
Present all across the state, MSU Extension provides educational services, tools, and expertise to help individuals, communities, and businesses find success in the workplace, at home, and in the community.
Offers farm businesses a continuum of financing tools and products offered by regional lenders through a one-stop application process. Financing options and resource support are tailored to the business stage and scale.
A regional program that connects consumers with local food, farms, restaurants, and businesses. Maps and guides make it easier to make the local connections.
Growth & Investment
American Planning Association
Provides leadership in planning by providing resources, tools and support, and a wide range of educational opportunities including training and workshops, conferences, and online courses.
A collaborative site designed to provide access to relevant, timely data to communities, the public, stakeholders in Northwest Michigan.
Any city, village, township or county can create a brownfield redevelopment authority (BRA) to facilitate cleaning up contaminated sites for redevelopment projects.
The Michigan Chapter of Congress for the New Urbanism identifies form-based codes as the answer to Michigan’s need for zoning reform. The guidebook provides information about form-based codes and how communities can develop them.
To be released December 2014
Charlevoix County G&I Study and CCI
Emmet County G&I Study and CCI
Grand Traverse County G&I Study and CCI
Leelanau County G&I Study and CCI
Manistee County G&I Study and CCI
Missaukee County G&I Study and CCI
Wexford County G&I Study and CCI
Michigan Association of Planning
Provides resources, educational content, and training to interested citizen stakeholders and planners. MAP is a chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).
Michigan Main Street Program
A revitalization program that utilizes community-driven, comprehensive strategies to encourage economic development. Communities receive technical assistance and services to help with the revitalization of historic down towns and traditional neighborhood commercial districts.
Michigan Municipal League
A nonprofit dedicated to assisting municipalities through advocacy at the state and federal level and by providing services and events to help them sustain themselves.
Michigan Townships Association
A nonprofit dedicated to assisting and advocating for Michigan’s townships.
The Guidebook demonstrates how thoughtful, quality design can improve our rural, suburban, and urban environments by creating sustainable developments of economic value that protect our natural resources. It includes proactive approaches to development in the region, and the techniques are applicable to both new development and to redevelopment projects.
A resource to help communities implement placemaking. It includes general and planning specific placemaking information, resources, and case studies from northwest Michigan.
Contact information, maps, and flow charts outline the development process in each community in Northwest Michigan. The guides are intended as an educational reference to assist individuals and businesses involved with construction and development projects.
To be released November 2014.
A statewide certification program that encourages communities to work towards becoming development ready and competitive in the new economy. Participating municipalities receive evaluation support, expertise and consultation, training, and marketing assistance from the MEDC.
The center provides startups, existing small businesses, and high-tech companies with no cost business counseling, training, and market research. Small business consultants are available in every county.
Healthy Communities
An introduction to Community Health Needs Assessments with links to reports, plans, and data concerning health issues from Charlevoix Area Hospital, Kalkaska Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital Cadillac, and Munson Medical Center.
Developed by the Sault Tribe Strategic Alliance for Health Program to provide information on the resources and process of developing, adopting, and implementing a policy for smoke-free housing with a Tribal Housing Authority. The guide is intended to be applicable to public and affordable housing, and may also be useful when implementing a smoke-free policy with market-rate housing.
A guide from the CDC to help health organizations get started using social media. Introduces a wide range of social tools that can be useful for health communications, promotions, emergency responses, campaigns, and other media efforts.
A tool to encourage citizens to think about land use decisions that would make a happier and healthier community. The Planning and Health Resource Guide for Designing and Building Healthy Neighborhoods provides resources to go along with the toolkit.
A list of community health indicators that illustrate how Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau Counties are performing on key health measures compared to national, state, and local levels.
An interactive map of health rankings supported by extensive data that can help communities identify where they could improve. Tools and resources offer guidance to help improve a community’s health.
Housing
List of resources available to people in need of housing assistance. Contacts are listed by the type of assistance they can offer.
A guide to help advocates communicate more effectively about housing issues. Each of the ten suggested strategies comes with a detailed explanation, tips, exercises, additional steps, and resources.
Housing market studies for each county in the region include analysis of existing and emerging demographic trends to identify future demand for various housing types.
A guide intended to raise awareness and encourage citizen engagement around housing issues. It provides information and resources on the issues, policies and programs, and grassroots advocacy.
Accessory Dwelling Units
Cottage Zoning
Employer Assisted Housing
Housing Trust Funds
Inclusionary Incentive Zoning
Land Bank Authorities
Zoning for Housing Affordability
A housing search portal for renters and homebuyers. The site features a searchable database of housing assistance programs, rentals, and homes for sale.
A Michigan Municipal League guide to overcoming community problems and taking action with basic municipal tools and enforcement procedures.
Natural Resources
A collaborative site designed to provide access to relevant, timely data to communities, the public, stakeholders in Northwest Michigan.
A process designed to protect water resources by helping townships and villages assess their stormwater management. Project partners include the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, Grand Traverse Conservation District, and NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute.
In order to protect the many viewsheds and natural vistas that Emmet’s topography provides for, the County requires a number of construction and development standards. Planning for development requires a balance between preservation and construction practicality.
Because the environmental protection afforded by state and federal regulations is limited and local governments are the first line of defense , this guide provides information to assist local officials in making sound decisions for their communities when creating local land use plans, adopting new environmentally focused regulations, or reviewing proposed development. Part I frames the case for protecting the environment and what the government's role is.
Part II discusses the natural resources that need protecting and how they are and are not regulated.
Part III discusses local planning and zoning. It covers many options and includes model ordinances.
A guide to implementing low impact development (LID) to new, existing, and redevelopment sites in an effort to control runoff.
The state agency responsible for protecting Michigan’s environment and public health. The DEQ is in charge of maintaining compliance with statutes that protect human health and the environment, and implementing air and water quality control programs. Services also include pollution prevention, permit coordination, incentive programs, environmental education, outreach, restoration activities and coordination, and more.
The state agency responsible for the conservation, protection, management, and the sustained use enjoyment of natural and cultural resources throughout the state. The DNR manages state parks, recreation areas, boat launches, state forest, fisheries, wildlife, and more. The agency also supports and facilitates natural resource-based economies.
The Guidebook demonstrates how thoughtful, quality design can improve our rural, suburban, and urban environments by creating sustainable developments of economic value that protect our natural resources. It includes proactive approaches to development in the region, and the techniques are applicable to both new development and to redevelopment projects.
The network works to protect natural communities in Northwest Michigan by managing and educating about terrestrial invasive plant species.
An educational video-series for planning and zoning officials. The series offers practical planning information and techniques for topics that are most relevant to the region. Michigan State University Extension and NWMCOG are responsible for the series.
A personalized guide for water protection that provides local government with a comprehensive look at water protection throughout the entire county. The analysis reviews all existing water resource protections at the county and township levels, offers recommendations for local approaches to protecting water, and makes suggestions for improvement. Copies of the Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet County (its service area) reports are available online.
Recreation
A guide to outdoor experiences for recreation enthusiasts in northern Michigan.
A resource for communities interested in exploring the trail town concept. The manual covers design concepts, economic considerations, planning recommendations, and more.
A booklet describing what a recreation plan must include in order to be approved by the MDNR. Communities must have an approved five-year recreation plan to be eligible to apply for grants available through the State of Michigan for acquiring land for parks or open spaces and developing recreation facilities.
A website featuring writing and photography about northern Michigan’s outdoor recreation opportunities, food and wine, events, history, and more. The website is the home of several regional print publications, including Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine.
Information and resources on creating vibrant communities through placemaking. The guide includes a number of case studies from northwest Michigan.
This publication was developed to aid local governments in their efforts to implement policies included in the New Designs for Growth Guidebook.
A guide to help integrate accessibility into planning, design, construction, and maintenance of outdoor recreation facilities and trails.
An online source of trail information for all of Northern Lower Michigan. An interactive map allows users to explore over 5,300 miles of trails, with trail details available for every trail and trail segment.
Talent
A collaborative site designed to provide access to relevant, timely data to communities, the public, stakeholders in Northwest Michigan.
The center provides startups, existing small businesses, and high-tech companies with no cost business counseling, training, and market research. Small business consultants are available in every county.
The center provides startups, existing small businesses, and high-tech companies with no cost business counseling, training, and market research. Small business consultants are available in every county.
Transportation
A collaborative site designed to provide access to relevant, timely data to communities, the public, stakeholders in Northwest Michigan.
Explains the transportation planning process and transportation issues in our region. Glossaries, contact information, regional transportation-related statistics, and other information to help citizens get involved in the transportation planning process.
To be released December 2014
A report exploring the potential for passenger rail in Traverse City. It explains why and how the 11-miles of old freight tracks could be repaired for a seasonal tourist-focused shuttle.
It provides an assessment of the region's existing local infrastructure and opportunities, and develops an action strategy for implementation of alternative approaches.
A resource for communities interested in exploring the trail town concept. The manual covers design concepts, economic considerations, planning recommendations, and more.
Provides resources, educational content, and training to interested citizen stakeholders and planners. MAP is a chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).
MDOT is responsible for the construction, improvement and maintenance of the state highway system, transportation planning for the state, and administering state and federal transportation programs.
Northern Michigan Ride connects commuters for ride sharing to work, activities, and more throughout the Northwest Michigan region.
Testimonial
Our Township greatly benefits from Network Northwest's experience, depth of knowledge and understanding. Because they work with so many diverse communities in our ten-county region they understand the local land-use issues and are already working on solutions by the time we realize we need some help.
Susan Odom, Chair, Suttons Bay Township Planning Commission