The League’s Samantha Harkins testifies about the value of placemaking before the Michigan House Tourism committee on November 4, 2015.

Last week I presented on placemaking to the House Tourism committee. This diverse committee is made up of members from communities all across the state with different tourism focuses.

It was fun to dive back into legislative committee for a day (now that I’m a recovering lobbyist) to share my passion about creating great communities – for both residents and visitors.

The legislators were receptive to the presentation which focused on the significant economic impact of placemaking. While the committee members represent different areas from Northern Michigan’s Bellaire to Detroit, the economic impact of placemaking can be proven in communities of all sizes in all geographic locations.

I emphasized that placemaking is not about making every community the same; it’s about capitalizing on the assets your community and making your town the best version of itself.

Samantha Harkins is the President of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation. She can be reached at (517) 908-0306 or sharkins@mml.org