MML The Review MarchApr 2021 Magazine

Northern Field Report

Advancing Community Health with a Regional Approach

By Liz Foley

TRAVERSE CITY pop. 14,674

Groundwork's Christina Barkel packs locally grown asparagus at a Traverse City food pantry.

F or more than 25 years, a Traverse City-based nonprofit has worked hard to forge a roadmap to the future for northwest Michigan. Even if you’ve never heard of them, the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities is the region’s main flag bearer and foot soldier for sustainable solutions to improve community health in nearly every vital arena. “Right now, our work focuses mostly on food, transportation, town growth, and energy because these are key components in building a more resilient community,” said Deputy Director Jim Bruckbauer. “Our focus areas impact everyone.” It all began back in the mid-1990s when the former Michigan Land Use Institute joined with local partners in the Grand Vision, a massive public planning process among six counties in the Grand Traverse region: Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Kalkaska, and Wexford. The unique collaboration advocated for a regional growth strategy that addressed everything from wind power in Benzie to the pros and cons of a new village center for Acme Township. In 2015, the Institute became the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities under the founding principle that environmental protection and economic growth need not be mutually exclusive goals. Since then, Groundwork has helped put local food in our schools and markets, pushed for better public and non-motorized transportation, promoted clean energy initiatives, and advocated for protections of our Great Lakes waters—the single greatest resource we have.

Gathering All Voices “We have learned that, in order to move forward big ideas within these areas, it's crucial to have a broad range of partners,” said Bruckbauer. “Our projects are successful where there's participation and involvement from everyday citizens, advocates, decision-makers, business leaders and the groups in-between.” Among those partners is Networks Northwest, a 10-county regional planning agency that helps businesses address workforce needs, plan for growth, and reach new markets. Groundwork also gathered environmentally conscious business owners into the Great Lakes Business Network, a unified voice for environmental stewardship in state policy. “Groundwork in many ways has been Traverse City's conscience for the past 25 years,” said Traverse City Planning Director Russ Soyring. “Unashamed and a bit provocative, Groundwork continues to remind us of what is important. “To protect the environment and rural lands, we need thriving cities. To protect our farms, we need to buy their fresh local food. To be resilient, we need to invest in clean, renewable energy sources. When we invest in streets, we need designs that will encourage all forms of transportation.” Multi-Faceted Approach Groundwork’s holistic hands-on activism has many names. A2TC is working to re-establish passenger rail service between Ann Arbor and Traverse City. The pandemic derailed a 2020

38 THE REVIEW MARCH / APRIL 2021