Make your downtown more inviting and evocative of a sense of safety by incorporating principles of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) in your planning and improvement processes. Special guest Harmony Gmazel from MSU-Extension offers on overview of CPTED principles and applications in this episode of In MI Downtown.

While the Covid pandemic spurred changes to the methods for hosting events in Flint Township, the positive response from both the community and business owners has led the DDA to make the adaptations permanent. In a place without a walkable downtown or a large community gathering place, decentralized events have been the key to providing a means for the community to connect with its businesses. Learn from Tracey Tucker, economic enhancement director, how the transition was developed and implemented.

This podcast qualifies as Tracey's capstone project for her participation in the MDA's professional development certificate program.

The Michigan Downtown Association will host its annual fall conference the first week in November in fabulous Downtown Birmingham!

Dana Walker, MDA Executive Director, shares highlights from the conference agenda, while Birmingham PSD Executive Director Cristina Shepard-Decius provides her recommendations for places to see and things to do while you are visiting in this episode of In MI Downtown.

Contained within Act 57 of 2018 are reporting requirements for DDAs, among other TIF authorities. Adherence to the reporting requirements helps to strengthen each DDA's relationship with the State of Michigan legislature and to provide performance data for the DDAs utilization of TIF funds.

Travis Bukovcik, Departmental Analyst with the Michigan Department of Treasury, oversees the reporting of nearly 600 DDAs and other tax increment financing authorities. Travis shares this expertise in this episode of In MI Downtown. Grab a pen and a notebook; you are going to want to take notes during this episode!

NOTE: We apologize for the short segment in the podcast where we experienced a few technical difficulties.

When Scott Csazak became City Manager of the City of Caro, in Michigan's thumb, he quickly saw on opportunity to strengthen the downtown through the hiring of a full-time DDA Executive Director. Learn how Scott fielded the array of issues and stakeholders to turn this idea into reality. Scott drew on his experiences as a DDA Executive Director in Escanaba, Michigan, to guide his recommendations. And, once implemented, he worked through the issues that arose with efficiency. Scott discusses the process with MDA Executive Director Dana Walker.

This podcast serves as a capstone project for Scott's participation in the MDA's professional development certificate program.

The Ann Arbor DDA has engaged the services of a consultant to conduct a Parking Rate Study, in some respect due to changes in parking utilization noticed after the COVID pandemic. In a previous episode, Kelley Graves, DDA Office Manager, along with Jada Hahlbrook, Parking Manager, introduced the study by documenting the process for completion of the request for proposals. Now, we learn about progress made toward completion and how the information gleaned will be used in decision-making.

In Part I of this series of In MI Downtown, we heard an overview about Downtown Master Plans.

In this episode, we move from theoretical into practical with a discussion featuring Nani Wolf, AICP, CAPS, an associate planner with McKenna Associates. Nani describes her experience working with not one, but two communities in southeast Michigan on a cooperative downtown planning process. Nani covers her role, the stakeholders, outcomes, recommendations and next steps.

Thank you to McKenna Associates for their support of this podcast series.

This episode of In MI Downtown features a conversation with Paul Lippens, AICP, NCI from long-time MDA friends McKenna and Associates. Paul is a Vice President and Director of the Kalamazoo Studio.

This podcast is Part I of II dealing with the value of Downtown Master Plans and important factors, including market trends, design guidelines and zoning issues. Get the overview you need before starting the process to develop or update your Downtown Master Plan. Part II of the series will feature Paul's colleague Nani Wolf who will relate the real-world experience of her work in a southeast Michigan community.

Listen in so you can find out how to plan your work and then, implement it!

The Michigan Downtown Association is hosting its Summer (yay!) Workshop in Alpena, Michigan on June 2, 2023.

Listen to this special edition of In MI Downtown to learn about workshop highlights and fun things to see and do in Alpena before or after the workshop. The workshop is about having it all in your downtown and you are assured of leaving with some ideas to help you foster the creation of place and economic vitality in your own community.

In response to changes in parking utilization throughout the downtown district in Ann Arbor post-COVID, the Ann Arbor DDA has initiated the process of completion of a parking rate study. In this episode of In MI Downtown, we will hear from Kelley Graves, Ann Arbor DDA Management Assistant and Board Secretary, and Jada Hahlbrook, Parking Manager, about the goals of the study and the development of the request for proposals.

This podcast serves a dual role as a portion of Kelley Graves' capstone project for the MDA's Professional Development Certificate Program.