By Lauren Carlson Over the past 10 years I’ve seen so much great innovation in the public engagement processes that planners use to help communities build consensus on their futures. One of my favorite tools, because of the unique process and individualized outcome, is the charrette as created by the National Charrette Institute (NCI), now […]
Two CWA clients honored by planners at MAP/MML conference
The Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) and Michigan Municipal League (MML) joined their annual conferences September 19-21. Carlisle/Wortman Associates sponsored the Friday keynote luncheon, provided speakers for three sessions and saw two clients honored in MAP’s annual Planning Excellence Awards. Dick Carlisle was a panelist in the general session “Townhall Live! Bridging the Gap Between […]
Traffic congestion isn’t a problem. Road widening isn’t a solution.
If you only take one idea away from this post, make it this: Subscribe to the Strong Towns newsletter. It inspired this post on our blog last fall about how planners can accommodate older residents. Today it prompts us to write about traffic congestion. This essay gives two reasons why the American approach to congestion […]
Up next: Micro-units and dorms for grown-ups?
“Rental rates are out of reach for Michigan residents,” said a June 13 Community and Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) news release reporting the results of a new report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). The report says that the market rate for a two-bedroom apartment in Michigan is $876 a month […]
CWA will help Ferndale plan a food-based campus
By Megan Masson-Minock, AICP The Michigan Municipal League has contracted with Carlisle/Wortman Associates to help the city of Ferndale develop a food-based campus on vacant industrially-zoned land on the east side of the city. The study’s funds come from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Project specifications: Analyze the space and usage gaps/demand of Ferndale’s existing […]
Manchester Township + Village reap benefits of joint master plan
Throughout Michigan we find 36-square-mile townships, many of which want to preserve their rural character, surrounding villages or cities that want to concentrate development around existing infrastructure. A joint master plan, like the one Carlisle/Wortman Associates completed for Manchester Township and the Village of Manchester a year ago, can help both communities accomplish their goals. […]
CWA helps Plymouth DDA evaluate developers
When the Plymouth Downtown Development Authority sought a developer for a new, multi-use project that included a public parking deck, they turned to Carlisle/Wortman Associates Principal Sally Elmiger to help them vet the proposals. The DDA purchased a two-acre property on the southeast corner of W. Ann Arbor Trail and Deer Street that contained a […]
Tyler Lasser brings GIS skill to CWA
Carlisle/Wortman Associates has hired planner Tyler Lasser as a GIS technician.
SEMCOG honors regional trail project in Ann Arbor Township
Ann Arbor Township and Washtenaw County shared SEMCOG’s Regional Showcase Award for connecting two regional trails to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
Dick Carlisle leads with his heart
Carlisle Wortman’s Dick Carlisle is leading the effort to establish a Michigan chapter of Best Buddies, a nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.