urban planning
Own our city: Toronto's Chief Planner shares window into ingredients for civic change
by (Holly)
Submitted 12-01-2014 under NEWS
"You can't participate if you don't know what's going on," says Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner for the City of Toronto and renowned urbanist. "Building understanding is the most important thing you can do if you want to...
Downtown day camp provides kids opportunity to shape our city
by (lwells)
Submitted 11-05-2014 under VOICES
It wasn’t the layers of grime on my son’s face and clothes or the continuous recap of a day spent on the farm at Blandford. Nor was it the tie-dyeing of t-shirts or Friday afternoon vegetable sale that stirred something inside me about...
Getting connected
by (DowntownGR)
Submitted 10-28-2014 under PLACE-MATTERS
Written by Kristopher Larson, AICP Last week, a local media outlet ran a story with a quote that read, “Not everybody is excited about walking a few blocks to and from their workplace.” Contextually, the quote referenced a Downtown...
Bike lane repairs, maintenance delayed due to inclement weather
by (jwiegand08)
Submitted 03-24-2014 under NEWS
As the sun starts to peek through the clouds and spread its warmth on Grand Rapids, residents are taking to the streets with their bicycles. But with this year's uncommonly brutal winter and the deteriorating quality of city streets, it may be...
Story Matters: Renata Horvath applies GVSU learning in urban design to work at DGRI
by (The Rapidian)
Submitted 02-17-2014 under NONPROFITS
We build community when we share our stories - whether they be a memory, an experience or just simply telling what we think is great about this place. STORY MATTERS. is a story collecting project from The Rapidian and GRTV. The Rapidian's...
Story Matters: Adam Bird sees positive strides, areas for growth as downtown development works towards critical mass
by (The Rapidian)
Submitted 12-09-2013 under NONPROFITS
We build community when we share our stories - whether they be a memory, an experience or just simply telling what we think is great about this place. STORY MATTERS. is a story collecting project from The Rapidian and GRTV. Adam Bird sat down...
Why parks matter: The history of parks in Grand Rapids
by (Michael Tuffelmire)
Submitted 10-08-2013 under OPINION
The modern concept for urban green spaces has its origins in 19th century England. The Industrial Revolution started in England during that time, and ushered in an era of urban growth never seen before. England’s population increased...
The price of good streets
by (FriendlyCorps)
Submitted 07-09-2013 under PLACE-MATTERS
Over 60% of our roads are in what is considered "poor" condition- a number that continues to grow with every car that drives down the street and every freeze-thaw cycle. However, in order to make our streets better, we have to pay for them...
Re:STATE transforms city block to better serve neighborhood needs
by (josephd)
Submitted 05-23-2013 under OPINION
State Street came to life last weekend as a group of urban advocates transformed the area into a destination filled with useful public spaces, events and local shops. Otherwise known as re:STATE, the Grand Rapids Better Block...
Sometimes, it’s Block by Block: A Thriving Community on Warren SE
by (tylerwnickerson)
Submitted 10-05-2011 under LOCAL LIFE
Thriving blocks make an attractive neighborhood. Thus far, House by House has primarily covered, well... individual homes. We’re expanding that dialogue in this post by recognizing that while a house can change a block, a block can also change a...