The following organizations support green infrastructure in the Mid-Michigan area and have made this website and upcoming workshop a success.

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This website is made possible by a grant from the Land Policy Institute.

At the core of the Land Policy Institute's (LPI) mission is to resource policy makers at the federal, state, and local level with science-based tools and solutions that help build a better quality of life, strengthen the economy, and protect the environment in ways that are fair to all.

The Institute is fundamentally committed to Michigan. Recognizing that land use policies are pivotal to the state's success, we engage scientists from MSU, other universities in Michigan, and universities outside Michigan to develop strategies and policy tools to position Michigan for the future based on the principles of strategic growth. In everything we do, we consider economic, social, and environmental issues. We encourage collaboration among land use researchers, policy makers, and community organizations, and we marshal the breadth of MSU's capacity for research and education.

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Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance is a statewide 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster and facilitate the creation of an interconnected statewide system of trails and greenways for recreation, health, transportation, economic development, and environmental/cultural preservation purposes. MTGA works at both the state and local levels by assisting public and private interests in trail and greenway planning, funding, development, and maintenance. MTGA builds public support for trail and greenway development through events, membership, education, information and advocacy activities.

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Over fifty years ago, in July 1956, the political and business leadership in the greater Lansing region came together to form the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. Those community leaders recognized that with the projected growth that was to come to the Capital region over the next few decades, an organization was needed for communities to come together and work out the inter-jurisdictional issues that new growth would generate at both the local and regional level. This three-county region is made up of 78 separate units of government. This includes 27 cities and villages, 48 townships and the 3 counties. Fifty of these seventy-eight governments have their own zoning and land use powers to help manage growth and development, but there is no real mechanism in place to coordinate all these plans between individual governments. In addition, we have many special districts, such as drainage districts, school districts, road commissions, health districts, soil conservation districts, transportation authorities, and sewer and water authorities, who all play some role in managing and providing services for new development and growth. With this complex governmental structure, the job of coordinating development and solving its related infrastructure and service problems is immense. The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission’s main purpose is providing planning and technical solutions for local governments, especially multi-jurisdictional issues. 

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The Go Green! Go Lansing! Initiative is working to promote environmental and economic health for all those who live, work, and play in Greater Lansing. The Initiative represents a comprehensive effort to establish and promote a "green" ethic and raise awareness about environmental issues throughout the region's communities, businesses, and schools. In order to accomplish these goals, the Go Green! Go Lansing! Initiative is working to:

• Make City facilities more energy efficient and less wasteful
• Promote environmental education in schools
• Raise environmental awareness among residents
• Help industry and local businesses to become "greener"
• Celebrate the amazing "green" successes that are taking place in Greater Lansing

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The Land Use and Health Team is a collaborative effort in the tri-county, mid-Michigan area that involves planners, university faculty, business and public health. The purpose of the Team is to educate and engage the community regarding impacts of the built environment on health, and facilitate improvement through refinement and promotion of a health impact assessment tool.

There is growing body of evidence that design of the built environment influences the physical and mental health of residents.  The population of the mid-Michigan region is shifting from urban centers to farmlands, a process that has resulted in land uses changes with health consequences to urban and rural residents. The Team has increased public engagement in regional planning by increasing awareness of local land use trends and health impacts.

The Team is refining and promoting use of a health impact assessment tool to encourage discussion among planners and developers and others about health impacts of proposed developments.

The most important element of this practice is involvement of a broad based team of interested stakeholders who represent expertise and resources.  Staff support to coordinate activities is necessary to maintain the practice.

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