Our programs engage young people in shaping the future of the cities they live in, making our cities more attractive to young people as well as to residents of all ages.
As the only state in the U.S. to experience a net population decline over the last decade, Michigan has lost hundreds of thousands of workers who left to pursue jobs in other states. The economy in the Detroit metro area is springing back, however, as the Big Three automakers recover, companies move their headquarters to downtown Detroit and brand new start-ups emerge from incubators, fueled by our strong universities. The inner-ring suburbs have a new opportunity to attract young people by building communities that are vibrant and walkable and that are strongly connected to the central city as well as to each other.
Connecting young people directly with local governments allows cities to draw upon the fresh ideas, unique experiences and educational resources of talented young people while also creating opportunities for youth to gain professional experience and make their voices heard locally.
Millennial Mayors Congress: Composed of one city official and one Millennial resident (ages 18-35) in each member community, the Millennial Mayors Congress facilitates the exchange of ideas and plans for collective action among different communities and between young adults and experienced policymakers.
UniverCities: High quality universities are one of Michigan’s greatest assets. Our UniverCities program seeks to help cities benefit from the groundbreaking research that is happening all around them by building strong connections between cities, university students and faculty.
The Suburbs Alliance is kicking off Green Anchors, an ambitious project that aims to transform residential neighborhoods across our region, one house and one person at a time.
One of every nine bridges in Michigan is structurally deficient. Meanwhile, SEMCOG’s 2040 plan intends to use a large portion of its $40 billion budget to widen I-94 and I-75.
