Grand Rapids Revitalization Partners

08/27/2026

So much of what makes a person appreciate their community is beauty.

We place a considerable amount of value on aesthetics. Humans have a greater sense of attachment to places that are pretty. We seek out charming environments and will pay more to visit them or live in them.

Yet most communities don't have a single organization advocating for good aesthetics. Not one person whose job it is to ask whether what gets built is actually worth caring about.

Which is why most towns never see anything attractive built.

Years ago I was involved with my local preservation organization. It was time to replace the old wooden sign in front of the organization's prized property. We ended up in a heated argument about whether to replace it with a plastic sign. Equal proponents on each side. It left me astonished. I had assumed that preservation minded people were also concerned with quality design.

Preservation matters. It is fundamental to the revitalization of any community. But we cannot overlook how much it matters that the built environment, whether ancient or brand new, is lovable and charming. People derive a sense of attachment from things they find attractive. And a building has a much better chance of growing old if it's pretty.

Whether new or old, beauty is timeless.

08/21/2026

The next meeting of the Grand Rapids Revitalization Steering committee will be Tuesday, August 25th at 630 pm at the Providence Metropark shelter house. Bring a chair, your ideas and a helping mindset! Hope to see you all there!

08/21/2026

08/19/2026

Most American cities have been in decline for at least 40 years, some as long as 70. To think things will get fixed in the short run is some real magical thinking, but the key to remember is this, we don’t have to make everything right, we just have to make things better.

Improvement is about trajectories, it's about momentum. The results will come, don’t worry too much about them. Focus on the process. Do the work, be relentless, and the outcomes will take care of themselves.

Most of us understand that anything that promises a cure or improvement without effort is a scam and that the only way to address our problems or progress in our lives is to put in the work. Though somehow when it comes to our civic life, we completely abandoned this obvious truth. I know I have hammered this point home before, but like my own advice, I am just going to keep with it until it sticks.

The decline of a community cannot be turned around with one big project, no more so than people can lose weight by consuming a pill.

There are some hard truths we know about ourselves that we can apply to the places we live. And because these truths are applicable to us as individuals, they will always be true to the places we call home.

Nothing comes easy, there are no shortcuts. There is one and only way to get better, and it's by putting in the work. You can have the best plan in the world, the best coach, or the best trainer, but at the end of the day- if each individual isn’t willing to commit to a sustained effort, it's meaningless.

Let's look at some examples.

Lose weight - eat less, do more exercise.
Have more money - buy less, earn more.
Find more friends - look at screens less, engage in new activities.

It's a pretty simple formula when it comes to self-improvement. Stop doing the detrimental thing and start doing the thing that helps you get better. Crazy enough- this is also the secret to community revitalization.

Here’s a simple methodology I suggest for those wanting to improve their community. Start removing the things that are ugly and start replacing them with things that are attractive. Just as we are all a composite of all the decisions we make, our cities are a composite of all the physical features that make it up.

A town, village, hamlet, or city is just some buildings, benches, sidewalks and streets. Take away the physical items and you have a field or a parking lot. So the way to get better is to improve all of the elements that make up a place. As each piece improves, the place improves. There is simply no other way about it.

This is why trajectories matter. It doesn’t take all that much to change them. When conditions have been declining for so long, it's actually quite easy to turn a trajectory around. The act of doing nothing brings about decline and decline is depressing and fosters apathy. But improvement, oh boy! Everyone loves improvement, it’s exciting and gets everyone all fired up.

When a thing stops deteriorating and starts getting better, well we all feel a little spark and a little excitement. We all find ourselves caring a little more, maybe even feeling a bit of affection. It’s fun to see things improve. Cleaning the house feels good, but home improvements are the stuff of dreams! Staying in shape is excellent, but losing weight or building muscle? Hubba hubba!

We have to look around at our towns and be honest about what looks like crap. If decline is still occurring, your trajectory is headed in the wrong direction. Stop it. Halt it. Fix it. Look at all of the components that make up your place and start improving them. You can’t fix them all at once, but you can start fixing them one by one. And with each item improved, the sum total gets a little bit better…thus a trajectory shifted. A momentum born.

Look at all the pieces that make up your place and start improving them. Big or small, they all need attention, they all need shined up and cared for. Revitalization isn’t about silver bullets and big quick fixes. It’s about a thousand small projects. It’s about making one improvement today so that you create a little momentum, a little positivity, a little belief that tomorrow, it can be done again. Repeat this over and over again and you will find yourself living in an entirely different place than when you started. It only takes a bit of effort.

08/13/2026

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08/10/2026

Many years ago, when I worked as a middle school math teacher long before I ever knew I would be a part of community revitalization, I taught a fundamental of positive whole numbers which read as follows:

Addition and Multiplication will always leave you with more, while Subtraction and Division will always leave you with less.

It's uncanny how much this same concept applies to our community.

When we invest in new ideas, include new volunteers, support local businesses, partner with other organizations, celebrate one another’s successes...we’re multiplying and adding. Together we can achieve far more than we can on our own.

But when we create divisions, leave people out of the conversation, focus on what sets us apart instead of what brings us together... we subtract and divide. The end result is less trust, less momentum, less progress, and ultimately a lesser feeling of community.

Revitalization is much more than renovating buildings and attracting investors. It’s about multiplying the most important asset we have in our community..... Each other!!

Changing a mindset is one of the hardest things to do, and working toward a consensus always comes with its share of hurdles and setbacks.

What matters most is that the comeback is greater than the setback.

Here at Grand Rapids Revitalization Partners, we know that every resident, every business, every organization, and every volunteer has something to offer. When we all add our strengths to each other's, and we multiply our efforts toward a common goal of continued greatness in our village, we would inevitably end up with more to show the world around us.

That’s the equation that will produce the result we all seek and deserve.

08/05/2026

I walked the towpath today contemplating our future and sat on a bench for a moment to scroll through my phone. I found a video with the following caption:

“Water wouldn’t sound beautiful without rocks in its way.”

I think it’s a great metaphor for our shared journey toward revitalization here in Grand Rapids.

All cities and towns striving to better themselves are going to face obstacles. They will have conflicting ideas, unforeseen difficulties, and days that feel like they’re not moving forward as quickly as they’d like. Those aren’t necessarily signs that something is wrong, by the way. Sometimes that’s just how the process works.

Our village is like the river and the rocks. We are people with different strengths. Some of us offer stability and roots. We remind others of where we’ve come from and what we value. Others of us are dreamers who offer new ideas, energy, and vision. Again, one is not better than the other. In fact, it’s when both interact that you can see something beautiful happening.

The water smooths the rocks over time. The rocks create the melody of the water. Together, they create a landscape more beautiful than either could create alone.

Let’s remember that as we continue on this journey of revitalization. Our differences don’t have to divide us. If we treat each other with patience, respect, and most of all, love for our village, then we can learn to dance together just as beautifully as the water and the rocks do.

After all, beauty isn’t found in the lack of obstacles. Beauty is found in how you navigate them together.

The next time you watch our beloved river, see it as a symbol of all we will accomplish together and how beautiful it has been, is, and shall continue to be.

When you stand on the banks, do you see yourself as the rock or the current? They are both part of the river, and they are both part of the beauty. Thank you for being either.

08/04/2026

The future of Grand Rapids won't be shaped by one idea, one project, or one organization—it will be built by a community moving forward together.

Revitalization is a journey, not a destination. Along the way, we'll celebrate successes, learn from challenges, and continue building on the strengths that make our village unique. Every conversation, every volunteer, every local business, and every resident who chooses to get involved helps move us one step closer to the community we all envision.

The most successful communities don't wait for change to happen—they work together to create it.

As we look ahead, let's continue to honor our history, support one another, and embrace the opportunities before us. The best chapters of Grand Rapids are still waiting to be written, and each of us has the opportunity to help write them.

Thank you for believing in our community and for being part of its future. Together, we're building something that will benefit generations to come.

What would you like to see in our future together?

Send a message to learn more

08/03/2026

Revitalization isn't the result of the efforts of one organization, one business, or one group of volunteers. It belongs to all of us. The feeling of unity, joy, and belonging is what attracts people to call a place home.

Whether you've lived in Grand Rapids your entire life or just recently made it home, you have something valuable to contribute. You don't have to lead a committee or launch a major project to make a difference. Sometimes the most meaningful contributions are the simplest: supporting a local business, attending a community event, picking up litter, planting flowers, welcoming a visitor, sharing ideas, or simply speaking positively about our village.

Communities don't become stronger because a few people do everything. They become stronger because many people each do something.

At Grand Rapids Revitalization Partners, we believe everyone has a seat at the table and a role to play in shaping our future. Every act of pride, service, and kindness adds another brick to the foundation of a thriving community.

Think of what defines your strengths and passions.

How will you help write the next chapter of Grand Rapids?

Send a message to learn more

07/31/2026

The Grand Rapids Revitalization Partners, Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Arts Council are pleased to introduce Gil the Duck as a new marketing symbol to help promote tourism, community engagement, and local pride.

The goal was to create a unifying marketing tool that connects the community, local events, businesses, parks, and attractions under a single identity.

Several creative ideas were submitted, and members of the public were invited to vote to select the winner.

Gil will serve as a marketing ambassador that can be used by local organizations to promote tourism, encourage commerce, and foster community pride and reflects our village’s connection to the river, canal, parks, and welcoming atmosphere.

More details to come!