Infrastructure Week Recap
“Infrastructure Week” has become such an important event that it was even turned into a comedic-story line on late-night shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. We appreciate the national media exposure this work has garnered and the Michigan Municipal League was proud to participate in and help shine the light on the importance of national Infrastructure Week (May 13-20, 2019). The League was heavily involved in a fantastic event right here in Michigan, the Midwestern Infrastructure Summit.
During the public summit, League CEO and Executive Director Dan Gilmartin, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, and Mayors Andy Schor and Bobby Hopewell all focused on the need for more investment in Michigan’s failing infrastructure.
“Our cities and our state are at a crossroads where we must make drastic funding changes for our infrastructures and our cities,” Gilmartin said. “This summit is an opportunity to discuss the issues and showcase what our leaders in the legislative and business community are doing to move Michigan forward.”
Lansing served as the backdrop for the Midwestern Infrastructure Summit, one of four summits held nationwide during Infrastructure Week. The League co-hosted the event with the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association at Lansing Brewing Company.
Michigan is not alone in facing this issue. More than 500 affiliate organizations hosted nearly 150 events throughout the United States in order to start a conversation about what and how we should #BuildForTomorrow.
Improving local infrastructure is a central theme of the SaveMICity campaign as investment in communities is integral to the economic growth of every city, village and township. Vibrant parks, high-quality transit systems, affordable housing and countless other local assets play an important role in creating places where people want to live and work.
“When we talk about infrastructure, we hope the conversation focuses on more than bricks and mortar and roads and bridges,” said Gilmartin in a statement released earlier this year. “Our state hasn’t invested in community infrastructure, so our cities, villages and townships struggle to provide even basic services, let alone the types of amenities that are demanded by both talent and business.”
Infrastructure Week offered a chance for leaders across the country to unite in sharing stories of success, challenges their communities face, and the critical areas that need to be addressed at all levels of government – but, even though the week is over, it can’t end there.
Keep the conversation going by joining SaveMICity as we push for a greater investment in community infrastructure.