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.
"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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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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