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By Lauren Fay Carlson, Managing Editor

By Lauren Fay Carlson, Managing Editor's Latest Articles

1349 Lake Drive SE, Sondag's Pastries in 1944
Neighborhoods of GR: Eastown a hip, connected community

Diverse. Hipster haven. Former streetcar through fair. Eastown, as one of the oldest established neighborhoods in GR, is an ever-evolving, tight knit community with a rich history explored in this edition of Neighborhoods of GR.

40 years of the new and now: UICA was contemporary art before contemporary art was cool

"We're not putting any of our resources into preserving the past," says Urban Institute of Contemporary Art Executive Director Miranda Krajniak. Celebrate 40 years with the UICA, the cornerstone of artistic experimentation in Grand Rapids.

Civic engagement in our own backyards: Why getting involved at the local level actually matters

Despite changes on a national scale, advocates at a state and local level continue to stress the importance of civic engagement both nationally and locally. Here in Grand Rapids and across the state, government entities, schools and private companies are throwing their proverbial hats in the ring, educating everyday people on the roles, systems and actions needed to make positive and measurable change in their communities.

Michael Nÿkamp (Steve and Yangs Fellow award ceremony portraits)
A mentor’s role in design: Sitting down with Yang Kim and Steve Frykholm

As part of our design issue, Rapid Growth Managing Editor Lauren Carlson sat down with long-time collaborators and friends Yang Kim and Steve Frykholm. Kim and Frykholm discuss what they've learned from each other, how design has changed, tech's role in the industry, and working within the West Michigan design community.

Local firm Mindscape redefines marketing through relationship building
What’s next for pot? State laws, local scale, and who’s saying what in the marijuana industry

Recent statewide initiatives continue to further support for the issue, even while local law enforcement cracks down on purveyors. With such a muddled playing field, what's next for pot in Grand Rapids? Who are the experts and what do they have to say about the future of marijuana in Michigan?

Taproot reboot: Eastown video production company rebrands
Not your average student: Colleges and nonprofits prep workers for construction trades

Despite shifting with technology and the economy, construction is a sector that remains constant in one vital area: the need for professional, skilled workers. Here in West Michigan, various programs offer training, either traditional or extraordinary, that equips those interested in construction with the skills necessary to enter the industry.

New Noco Provisions offers regional classics from around the country
Is Grand Rapids walkable?: Safety, data, and the physical space of pedestrians

With rating systems like walkscore.com and articles about the city's walkability factor popping up every few months, it can be difficult to determine what factors actually make a city safe, and enjoyable, to be a pedestrian. Whatever the approach, Grand Rapids is catching on the the trend of celebrating the pedestrian, making the river city a safer place to traverse on foot.

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