Category Archives: Sustainability

The possibility of a farmers market on Ypsilanti’s Water Street

By Mark | November 26, 2012

Over the course of the past week or so, I’ve posted twice about the 38-acre vacant lot at the heart of downtown Ypsilanti commonly referred to as Water Street. In the first post, which was written in response to news that Family Dollar had expressed interest in building on the site, I outlined my objection [...]

Also posted in Ideas, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Amanda Edmonds, business incubators, business models, CDC, city planning, Community Development Corporation, dollar stores, Eastern Leaders, economic development, Family Dollar, farmers market, food entrepreneurship, food hub, food stamps, funding, Growing Hope, healthy food access, International Public Markets Conference, Jean Henry, John Knott, kitchen incubator, Michigan Farmers’ Market Association, national chains, North Charleston Noisette, season extension, Smith furniture building, sustainable urbanism, visioning, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project | 28 Comments

Grand Rapids shows us how economic development is done right… home-grown food entrepreneurship over dollar stores

By Mark | November 18, 2012

A few months ago, when I was in Grand Rapids, attending the annual BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) conference, I had the occasion to hear a speech given by the city’s Mayor, George Heartwell. I can’t find my notes at the moment, but I seem to recall that, buried somewhere in the long [...]

Also posted in Economics, entrepreneurism, Environment, Michigan, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Amway, Ave Maria, BALLE, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, David Frey, economic development, false equivalence, farmers market, food entrepreneurship, food hubs, Grand Action, Grand Rapids, hope, infrastructure, local food, local food production, national chains, Tom Monaghan, Water Street, Water Street Redevelopment Project | 41 Comments

Our weekend in Chicago (and the end of the Earth) in two pictures

By Mark | October 7, 2012

Not realizing that this was the weekend of the Chicago Marathon, Linette and I decided to pack up the family and head to the Windy City for the weekend. The top photo was taken inside the Evolving Planet exhibition at the Field Museum. The second photo is of a vehicle promoting a new menu item [...]

Also posted in Mark's Life | Tagged Bacon, Baconator, Chicago, David Ulansey, depressing stuff, evolution, Evolving Planet, extinction, Field Museum, marathons, mass extinction, Richard Leakey, vacation, Wendys | 14 Comments

The U-M architects charged with envisioning Ypsilanti’s much anticipated recreation center share their designs, and discuss why this “new civic anchor” is so important to the future of the city

By Mark | September 26, 2012

As I think most of you know, a team of University of Michigan architects and their graduate students were approached some time ago and asked to envision what a new Water Street recreation center might look. Having completed their design concepts, they will be presenting their work to the citizens of Ypsilanti at SPARK East [...]

Also posted in Architecture, Ypsilanti | Tagged architecture, Border to Border Trail, brown field, Cathy Duchon, city planning, community building, community facilities, Craig Borum, Eastside Recreation Center, economic development, emerald necklace, flooding, Huron River, Huron River greenway, Jen Maigret, MAde studio, Maria Arquero, Michigan Avenue, Olmstead Brothers, our fragile downtown business ecosystem, PLY Architecture, public space, recreation center, Riverside Park, Robert Marans, sustainable urbanism, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, trees, University of Michigan, urban form, urban planning, walkable downtown, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, Washtenaw County Parks Commission, water management, Water Street, Waterworks Park, YMCA | 33 Comments

WISD Superintendent Scott Menzel on the proposed merger of the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts

By Mark | July 15, 2012

A few days ago, I posted something here about the proposed merger of the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts. Well, what I’d written was apparently brought to the attention of Scott Menzel, the superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Scott asked for an opportunity to clarify a few things concerning the proposed merger, [...]