Northern Lakes Economic Alliance • info@northernlakes.net • www.northernlakes.net
When a visitor is coming to your town for the first time what do you want them to experience? What do you want them to tell their friends and families about? What do you want them to remember? What can you do to make them a repeat visitor?
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Jessica Lovay, Office Manager/Grant Administrator
Every one of those questions is applicable in every community around the state, and country. What can we do as community members, educators, economic developers, business owners, local units of government, and everyone in between to make our communities the best they can be and thrive? We can “stop fixing potholes and start building peaks,” Dan Heath co-author of The Power of Moments describes in this quick YouTube video why we need to stop fixing potholes and start building peaks when it comes to creating better experiences.
The concept behind this is simple, people remember peaks of their experience and we need to invest in those opportunities. As a community that could be a park, trails, new businesses, or other amenities that make your community unique. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation calls this Placemaking, “place-based economic development,” placemaking aims to create quality places where people want to live, work, play and learn.” Each new visitor is a potential new resident why not make your community the best it can be, and as Heath says “why not create better moments”.
To learn more about placemaking and community development contact the NLEA at 231-582-6482 or info@northernlakes.net.
