Annual Institute 2011: Webinar Series

Re-Sizing Michigan Communities in a Just and Equitable Manner

Many Michigan and mid-west communities are struggling to confront declining populations, double-digit unemployment rates, concentrated poverty, widespread vacant properties, and deteriorating infrastructures. Drastic decreases in tax bases and investments in public infrastructure have resulted in escalating budget deficits and steep declines in public revenues. Local officials are faced with the significant challenges of devising plans that focus on providing essential services to largely dispersed and distressed populations while making deep cuts in public expenditures.

In order to begin the process of transformational change, community leaders must develop and adopt innovative strategies that effectively address the complex problems that threaten the sustainability of our communities and undermine residents' quality of life. The appropriate and effective methods of re-sizing or shrinking our communities, however, remain unclear. Residents, scholars, practitioners, and others have acknowledged the potentially discriminatory and unfair consequences that may result in the right-sizing process.

This webinar series is designed to facilitate a thoughtful discourse about re-sizing. During the event, participants will investigate what we may know about re-sizing from previous cases, informed practitioners and scholars as well as carefully examine the social, economic and equity issues imbedded in this process. Participants will have the opportunity to learn in an appropriate and supportive forum what are the potential positive and negative impacts associated with re-sizing communities and what actions may be able to be taken to ensure that re-sizing is done in a socially just and equitable manner distributing the associated costs and benefits fairly.

Understanding the Context

May 17

Plenary: Human Settlement Eco-System | Transcript | Presenter: Julia Klaiber, CEOs for Cities
The Root of our Challenge: Michigan Cities' Diminished Population Density, Outflow, and Related Challenges | Transcript | Presenter(s): Rene Rosenbaum, MSU CARRS
A Primer on Infrastructure in Southeast Michigan | Transcript | Paul Tait, SEMCOG

May 19

Is Sustainability an Alternative to Shrinking? | Transcript | Presenter: Mayor Dayne Walling, Flint, Michigan
Social and Economic Implications: Responsible Re-Sizing

May 19

A Case Study in Responsible Redevelopment - East Baltimore | Transcript | Presenter: Dr. Tony Cipollone, V.P. for Civic Sites and Initiatives, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland

May 24

Resident Relocation: Receiving/Investment Neighborhoods | Transcript | Presenter: Brett Theodos, Urban Institute
The Distribution of Costs and Benefits | Transcript | Presenter: Dan Kildee, Center for Community Progress
Implications for Action

May 26

Plenary: What does the Future Hold? | Transcript | Presenter: Arnold Weinfeld, Director, Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs, Michigan Municipal League
Master Planning Process as Method for Re-Sizing Communities | Transcript | Presenter: Angela Uttke, Professor at the Institute of City and Regional Planning in the University of Technology Berlin, Germany

May 31

Planning for Re-Sized Cities | Presenter: Hunter Morrison, Youngstown State University
Implications for Public Policy | Transcript | Presenter: Robin Boyle, Professor, Wayne State University
Reimagining Michigan's Cities Convention
Participants Generate Strategies for Reinventing Communities with Decreased Density (Face-to-Face)