#RG20LookBack: Can one small garden help grow a community movement? (Yes!)
In his 25th #RG20LookBack column, Rapid Growth Publisher Tommy Allen revisits Matthew Russell's 2019 story about a GR resident's rain garden helps protect local waterways.
Sustainability
Latest in Sustainability
#RG20LookBack: West Michigan models making progress over time
In his 21st #RG20LookBack, Rapid Growth Publisher Tommy Allen revisits Deborah Johnson Wood's 2009 story about efforts to restore rapids to the Grand River — a timely reflection following last week's groundbreaking of the Grand River Restoration's Lower Reach project.
Startup tackles food system inefficiency with direct farm-to-home delivery
Zeeland-based Locavana expands delivery, helping residents buy local food easily while increasing farmer earnings and improving access across West Michigan communities.
The Land Conservancy’s 50-year fight to save West Michigan’s natural areas
The Land Conservancy of West Michigan celebrates a half-century of working to keep nature nearby.
#RG20LookBack: Before the riverfront boom, a broader civic vision was inked by the community
In his 15th #RG20LookBack, Rapid Growth Publisher Tommy Allen revisits Nikos Monoyios's 2008 article, “Why Civic Centers Matter,” which frames green spaces as essential to a thriving civic environment.
GVSU students turn old tech troubles into trusted local resale solutions
GVSU students solve risky, wasteful tech resale by building a trusted local model that improves safety, transparency, and sustainability.
Grand Rapids sustainability leaders recognized for innovative environmental community impact
Three West Michigan fellowship winners advance zero-waste business, forest protection, and climate justice, inspiring communities to adopt sustainable and equitable solutions.
Trails as talent magnet: Outdoor access is key part of West Michigan’s ‘why here’ conversation
Trails and greenways are no longer just for weekend leisure. Regional leaders say outdoor access has become a key factor in recruiting and a crucial “quality of life” indicator for the contemporary workforce that West Michigan aims to attract and retain.
5 things you may not know about Blandford School in Grand Rapids
Flora Duckworth-Guerra, a sixth-grader, uses five original illustrations to show what happens at Blandford. She highlights the songs, chores, doodles, “magic spots,” and confidence-building moments that make this year-long program unique compared to other school experiences in Grand Rapids.
The trail as a classroom: Indigenous knowledge, reciprocity, and the future of greenways in West Michigan
What began as a snow-day chat with Kaya DeerInWater soon evolved into a trail-side lesson in reciprocity, encouraging West Michigan to view greenways not merely as pathways to develop, but as relationships to respect.
#RG20LookBack: West Michigan models making progress over time
In his 21st #RG20LookBack, Rapid Growth Publisher Tommy Allen revisits Deborah Johnson Wood's 2009 story about efforts to restore rapids to the Grand River — a timely reflection following last week's groundbreaking of the Grand River Restoration's Lower Reach project.
Startup tackles food system inefficiency with direct farm-to-home delivery
Zeeland-based Locavana expands delivery, helping residents buy local food easily while increasing farmer earnings and improving access across West Michigan communities.
The Land Conservancy’s 50-year fight to save West Michigan’s natural areas
The Land Conservancy of West Michigan celebrates a half-century of working to keep nature nearby.
#RG20LookBack: Before the riverfront boom, a broader civic vision was inked by the community
In his 15th #RG20LookBack, Rapid Growth Publisher Tommy Allen revisits Nikos Monoyios's 2008 article, “Why Civic Centers Matter,” which frames green spaces as essential to a thriving civic environment.
GVSU students turn old tech troubles into trusted local resale solutions
GVSU students solve risky, wasteful tech resale by building a trusted local model that improves safety, transparency, and sustainability.
Grand Rapids sustainability leaders recognized for innovative environmental community impact
Three West Michigan fellowship winners advance zero-waste business, forest protection, and climate justice, inspiring communities to adopt sustainable and equitable solutions.
Trails as talent magnet: Outdoor access is key part of West Michigan’s ‘why here’ conversation
Trails and greenways are no longer just for weekend leisure. Regional leaders say outdoor access has become a key factor in recruiting and a crucial “quality of life” indicator for the contemporary workforce that West Michigan aims to attract and retain.
5 things you may not know about Blandford School in Grand Rapids
Flora Duckworth-Guerra, a sixth-grader, uses five original illustrations to show what happens at Blandford. She highlights the songs, chores, doodles, “magic spots,” and confidence-building moments that make this year-long program unique compared to other school experiences in Grand Rapids.
The trail as a classroom: Indigenous knowledge, reciprocity, and the future of greenways in West Michigan
What began as a snow-day chat with Kaya DeerInWater soon evolved into a trail-side lesson in reciprocity, encouraging West Michigan to view greenways not merely as pathways to develop, but as relationships to respect.
