Creating Cities in Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint, Traverse City, Marquette and Kalamazoo are by no means all of Michigan’s cities (or even the largest). Each, however, seems to be an anchor for its region – a center to which people look to for culture, entertainment and commerce.

October 13-15, 2008, lovers of cities large & small from Michigan and all over the country will head to Detroit for the Creative Cities Summit 2.0 (CCS2), an exploration of what our cities could become and how we can work to make them. Organizers have chosen Detroit, a city so deeply forged in America’s industrial fires that it’s been devastated by the flickering of that flame. I’m headed down there and will try to bring some of the ideas back to you through Absolute Michigan – I hope that some of you can join me there.

The Photos (left to right)

Creative Cities Summit 2.0 in Detroit on Oct. 13-15, 2008

CCS2 will present a dynamic and engaging conversation about how communities around the world are integrating innovation, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, arts & culture and business to create vibrant economies. Full conference registration is $300 for the two and half day event, and there’s also a “no frills” registration that is only $100. There’s also a free “Unconference” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) on the 12th for designers, urban planners, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, students, community leaders to explore and discuss what’s possible for Detroit.
Keynote speakers include:

  • Bill Strickland, MCG-Bidwell Corp.
  • Richard Florida, Author Who’s Your City
  • Charles Landry, Author The Art of City Making
  • John Howkins, Author The Creative Economy
  • Dean Kamen, Inventor, DEKA
  • Majora Carter, Sustainable South Bronx
  • Doug Farr, Architect and Author Sustainable Urbanism
  • Ben Hecht, Pres. & CEO Living Cities
  • Tom Wujec, Fellow, Autodesk
  • Carol Coletta, CEOs for Cities
  • Giorgio Di Cicco, Poet Laureate, City of Toronto and Author, The Municipal Mind
  • Diana Lind, Editor, Next American City magazine

Breakout sessions on topics such as:

  • Race and the Creative City
  • Cities, Universities & Talent
  • Marketing, Media and the Creative City
  • Measuring New Things – ROI in the Creative Economy
  • Creative (Small) Cities
  • New Ideas in Urban Amenities
  • Community Vitality: The Role of Artists, Gays, Lesbians & Immigrants
  • Midwest Mega-region: How the Midwest Can Compete
  • Transportation Innovation for Cities
  • Making the Scene: Music & Economic Development

Much (much) more at creativecitiessummit.com.

Golden Journey… Standup paddle surfing

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Golden Journey....

Golden Journey…., photo by Doug Langham.

Doug has a great shot of a sport I’ve been itching to try. Wikipedia’s Stand Up Paddle Surfing entry says:

Stand Up Paddle, (SUP), is an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage. It can be traced back to the early days of Polynesia. The sport is ancient form of surfing and began as a way for surfing instructors to manage their large groups of learner surfers as standing on the board gave them a higher view point increasing visibility of what was going on around them such as incoming swell….

Today SUP, or Stand-Up-Paddle, is gaining popularity as the demands for global-conscious green sports increase. Additionally the sport benefits athletes with a strong ‘core’ workout. SUP’ing is popular at warm coastal climates and resorts, and is gaining in popularity as celebrities are sampling the sport and cross-over athletes are training with SUP. SUPs have been spotted around the globe anywhere there is easy access to safe waters as well as in the surfing lineups of the world.

Like on the Great Lakes, for example. As the photo shows, the sport isn’t wave-dependent. However, as this video from Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine shows, it’s fun in the waves too!

Michigan Shoreline Tour: South Haven … and the Friends Good Will

Posted on by farlane

Friends Good Will

Friends Good Will, photo by Doug Langham

Doug writes that the Michigan Maritime Museum’s historical replica of the famous sailing sloop Friends Good Will sails daily from the South Haven harbor. Follow that link for the tale of the original Friends Good Will and the building of this replica. (also check out Doug’s daytime photo of the sloop)

The Wikipedia entry for South Haven has all your facts and demographics and says that most of the city is in Van Buren County, with a the very north portion in Allegan County. Probably the best resource for South Haven history is the city of South Haven’s history page. It notes that the city was originally founded by J.R. Monroe, who was granted a land patent from the U. S. government in 1833 for 65 acres of land along Lake Michigan’s shore. The city didn’t get going until the 1850s when sawmills at the mouth of the Black River were established and fed the growth of the town (and the timber-hungry city of Chicago). South Haven’s “glory days” were probably when:

The resort business had its beginning in the mid-1800’s at the home of Mrs. H. M. Avery. It was to experience phenomenal growth and became South Haven’s most colorful era. By the turn of the century, thousands of visitors were arriving by steamer and train to enjoy a memorable vacation. Lodging was available in magnificent hotels, farm resorts, family homes, or picturesque little cottages along the river. Entertainment was unlimited. Choices included pavilions, several theaters, a casino, an opera house, an amusement park with a roller coaster, and much more.

Tourism remains the main business of South Haven and the South Haven Visitors Bureau and Great South Haven Chamber of Commerce can help you plan a visit. You can look in on the town with the South Haven web cam, view the Flickr photo map for South Haven and the Google map for South Haven.
Coincidentally, yesterday’s post was from South Haven too. View more South Haven area photos on Michigan in Pictures and also explore South Haven on Absolute Michigan.

Telling the story of the Great Lakes

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

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_DSC0179_8x8_toned, photo by kcephoto.

Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is looking for stories (500 words or less) and photos about people and the lakes that fill folks with laughter, sadness, nostalgia, or wonder, and maybe even inspire us to think about the Great Lakes in a new way.

The story categories are Fishing, Camping and General and there’s also a photo category. In addition to grand prizes with two outdoor adventure packages (kayak, tent and sleeping bag and two photography packages including a digital camera) there will be monthly prizes (backpacks, fishing gear, digital cameras) for children, high school student and adult age groups.

The contest runs through August 20, and you can get all the details and view some of the submissions at healthylakes.org.

Protect the Great Lakes - before it’s too late

Michigan Shoreline Tour: Van Buren State Park

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Van Buren State Park

Van Buren State Park, photo by Paladin27.

A little over a year ago, I blogged another photo from Paladin27’s Flying to South Haven set.

It might be cheating to go to the well twice, but it’s hard to find a way to convey the awesome scope of Michigan’s shoreline dunes without getting above them (and moving along them). Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of his video on YouTube of the flight.

The official page on Van Buren State Park (which makes the park look like it recently escaped from prison) says:

Van Buren State Park offers approximately 400 acres of land located along the Lake Michigan shoreline in northern Van Buren County. The focal points of the park are its high dune formations and one mile of sandy beach. Van Buren became a state park in May of 1965 when the original 167-acre plot was purchased from the Harry LaBar Drake family. Since then two other land purchases have been made to make up the current park.

The Wikipedia entry for Van Buren State Park needs some help as well. Anyone have some knowledge about the park and a little time?

The park has camping on over 200 sites, hiking on miles of trails and great sandy beaches. Here’s a Flickr photo map and also the Google Map for Van Buren State Park (looks like they caught a boat on the satellite flyover!)

Encrusted Lighthouse (Grand Haven)

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Grand Haven Lighthouse Winter

Encrusted Lighthouse, photo by taterfalls.

The bitter cold has frozen Lake Michigan and allowed Tate King to grab this awesome view of the light at Grand Haven. You have to check this one out bigger!

Here’s a post with another view & more information about the Grand Haven Lighthouse.

Shoreline III

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Shoreline III

Shoreline III, photo by kcephoto.

North beach in South Haven, MI

South Haven Pier

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

South Haven Pier

South Haven Pier, photo by Paladin27.

This is one of a great set of aerial photos of South Haven and Van Buren State Park. If you're wondering what this would look like from WAY above, here's a link to the geotagged location on Google Maps!

UPDATE: Here's part 2 of a 2 part video from Eric's flight on YouTube! 

Cold Afternoon at the South Haven Lighthouse

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

South Haven Lighthouse

South Haven Lighthouse, originally uploaded by Oldhamer.

It’d be hard to find a better introduction to Flickr’s Michigan Lighthouse Group than this photo by Oldhamer of the South Haven Lighthouse taken in December of 2005. He notes that the top walkway allows keepers to get to the light when the bottom is covered with ice.

Be sure to click the photo to get to Flickr, then click the “ALL SIZES” link above the photo to see the detail on the ice on the light. While you’re at it, check out some of Oldhamer’s other pics. The detail shots he has are very nice.
If you get the urge to visit South Haven, be sure to check out the Michigan Maritime Museum.