The LOCUS Michigan Leadership Summit: Closing the Next [Smart Growth] Deal was held June 23, 2015 at the One Woodward Building in downtown Detroit. The conference was held in partnership with the Michigan Municipal League (MML), which proactively represents municipalities to help them sustain highly livable, desirable, and unique places within the state.

The first-ever Michigan Leadership Summit convened more than 200 real estate developers and local elected officials at the One Woodward Building in downtown Detroit. Attendees represented the private, public, and non-profit sectors, and brought regional perspectives to the table. Read a full event recap here >>

We hope you enjoyed the LOCUS Michigan Leadership Summit and will join us in the movement to advance walkable places across the country by becoming a LOCUS member. Take a look below at some of the events and resources from the summit.

Release of The WalkUP Wake-UP Call: Michigan Metros Report
The Summit marked an important step towards walkable development in Michigan. Attendees had a first-hand look at The WalkUp Wake-Up Call: Michigan Metros, a report analyzing, for the first time ever, the different forms and economic use of all land use in seven Michigan metros—Detroit-Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Lansing, Jackson, Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, and Flint. The report also examines quality of walkups, ranking each metro area community based on economic and social equity metrics. Learn more about the research >>

2015 LOCUS Michigan Leadership Award
The LOCUS Michigan Leadership Award ceremony was held the afternoon of the Michigan Summit. Bernie Gliberman, President of HRS Communities, was named Michigan Developer of the Year for his more than fifty-year career specializing in urban infill development, adaptive property reuse, and housing policy. Pat Gillespie, President of The Gillespie Group, LLC, accepted the Michigan Development Company of the Year award for his firm’s urban renewal work in Lansing and commitment to public leadership and development of walkable real estate.

Panel Presentations (with slides linked)

What Walkable Development Means For Your Bottom Line
Michigan thought leaders in the public and private sector shared best ideas and approaches to smart growth real estate development, and explored the motivation for triple bottom line development (people, planet, and profit) and its benefits their overall bottom line.

• Chuck Marohn, President, Strong Towns
• Eric Larson, President and CEO, Larson Realty Group
• Chris Zimmerman, Vice President, Smart Growth America
• Geoff Anderson, President and CEO, Smart Growth America

Breakout Session: Tactics to Enable Smart Growth Development
This breakout session separated developers/investors from elected officials to answer: What are the biggest barriers and challenges to smart growth development in Michigan? What do developers need? What do elected officials need to enable this type of development? Each reported out and an expert panel addressed these barriers.

• Karina Ricks, Principal, Nelson\Nygaard
• Calvin Gladney, Managing Partner, Mosaic Partners

Networking Receptions

The goal of the summit was to advance smart growth projects on the ground. Participants engaged in high-level networking and deal-making during various receptions including the LOCUS LinkUp: Let’s Make a Deal! Top Development Opportunities in Michigan and the LOCUS Pitch Cocktail Reception.

The LOCUS LinkUp featured Flint Director of Planning Megan Hunter (phone: 810-766-7426) and Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson (phone: 231-724-6724) who shared future plans, development ideas, and deal opportunities. Additional developers spoke at the Pitch, highlighting deals in Detroit and greater Michigan.

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The LOCUS Michigan Leadership Summit was hosted by the LOCUS Steering Committee.