Creating Cool Downriver
“Cool” no longer means those people you did or did not sit with at lunch. Now, cool and creating cool means economic development and generating cold, hard cash for communities throughout Michigan.
Richard Florida in his widely read book The Rise of the Creative Class identified a group of 38 million people doing creative work who are highly educated, have a significant amount of disposable income, and that cities are tripping over themselves to attract.
For a community to attract members of the creative class, according to Florida, requires three T’s: technology, talent, and tolerance. This and Florida’s concept of the “quality of place” – meaning places that are stable and promote interaction, but that are also gritty, interesting and with a concentration of historic resources intact – attracts members of the creative class.
Leaders in Michigan realized how we were lagging behind other cities and states in attracting members of the creative class, so six guiding principles were agreed upon and a program providing grants and technical expertise to cities was created. More about this can be read at www.coolcities.com.
We are entering the third year of the program and what does Downriver and Wyandotte have to show for it thus far? – NOTHING. This is despite the presence of several respected arts and cultural organizations such as the Downriver Council for the Arts in Taylor, the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center in Trenton, and numerous galleries and artists in places like Wyandotte and Grosse Ile.
What then can then be done to position communities Downriver to compete for grant funding through the state and to attract members of the creative class? A partial answer was found last Tuesday evening, when 20 people gathered in the Council Chamber at the Lincoln Park City Hall.
Community leaders from Lincoln Park, Wyandotte, and Flat Rock heard an official from the State Historic Preservation Office and another from the City of Monroe speak about historic preservation, but also how preservation is an integral component of the Cool Cities program. For communities to become eligible for Cool Cities grant funds this year requires that they either have a National Register Historic District and/or a Local Historic District Ordinance and at least one local historic district in place.
One reason communities Downriver have been ineffective applying for grant funds and attracting members of the creative class is that they have been going at it their own, and refusing to recognize how Lincoln Park is tied to Wyandotte, and Wyandotte to Grosse Ile, and how we might all work together to unleash the potential of this region. How would the State of Michigan respond if three or more communities Downriver submitted their application together this year, with the argument that we wish to work together as region to Create Cool Downriver?
The good news is that by doing nothing, such a transformation is already taking place. Proactive steps may be taken as well. On December 8 a coalition from Wyandotte and Lincoln Park will attend The Art of Cool conference in Lansing. At this time it might be worth talking about how communities Downriver can cooperate. Then there is the requirement that communities have local historic district ordinances in place. It is not too late to do this, but work must start quickly.
Then there is the importance of having a vision. My vision is that communities Downriver will recognize art, culture, and their heritage as an asset, and work together to market the region as an attractive place for members of the creative class. This, of course, is in the hands of leaders in government, business, and for residents to decide for themselves.
Such decisions will have to be made in the months ahead, as scarce resources require government to innovate and to find new ways to be competitive. If effective, however, there is a very real possibility we will come together as a region, realize our potential, and start Creating Cool Downriver.
As published November 27, 2005