Michigan's blue infrastructure is an economic development asset

When you’re surrounded by nearly 20 percent of the world’s fresh water, it shouldn’t take too long before you look at a map of Michigan, slap yourself on the forehead and say, “Whoa! That’s a huge economic development asset!”Agencies throughout the state are capitalizing on Michigan’s blue economy, as Crain’s Detroit Business describes in this article, which points to the Detroit waterfront and Belle Isle and Macomb County’s Lake St. Clair shoreline as major targets for attracting tourists and making the areas desirable places to live.All of the cities receiving 2012 MiPlace placemaking grants have significant waterfronts and one of those grants, to Allegan, focuses exclusively on riverfront development.