As the global urban population grows by 65 million people annually, there can be no question that innovative solutions not only need to be created but easily shared and replicated among placemakers. The time is right to capitalize on a mounting interest in placemaking. PlaceMarket will help solidify and direct a burgeoning field.

Housing a global marketplace of real life solutions for pressing city problems that can be addressed through place-based strategies, curating accomplished placemaking experts for targeted deployments, and serving as a platform for interaction between accomplished and aspiring placemakers, PlaceMarket will help solidify and direct a burgeoning field. The market will collect, curate and help proliferate proven ideas, resources and solutions to community challenges, all to make places better.

From highly accessible "how-to" guides on how to affect change to gatherings that share the latest techniques and thought leaders on placemaking all the way to access to targeted civic interventions, data visualizations and measurement tools, PlaceMarket is poised to equip individuals in their quest to change cities around the world for the better.

PlaceMarket brings together nationally recognized municipal service organizations in the Michigan Municipal League, along with innovative start-ups like Little Things. Both have demonstrated abilities to take big ideas to action having delivered the World's Largest Community Visioning Process and the largest Entrepreneurial Resource Index in the country respectively.

The Michigan Municipal League aids Michigan communities in creating desirable and unique places to provide educational opportunities for elected and appointed officials and to assist municipal leaders in administering community services. The MML acts with the fervor of entrepreneurs to passionately push change for better communities and a better Michigan.

Little Things Labs is an independent innovation laboratory, working on place-making, talent retention and creative economy solutions in mid-sized and post-industrial American cities. In collaboration with foundations, corporations and non-profits, Little Things Labs discovers, designs and rapidly prototypes tools, models and processes that redefine community challenges as transformative opportunities.

Listed below are guests who joined us for our first PlaceMarket gathering.

Achille Bianchi: We Are Mode Shift
Alphons Van Adrichem: Central Indiana Community Foundation
Amy Crook: People for Urban Progress
Anthony Lavader: People for Urban Progress
Arnold Weinfeld: Michigan Municipal League
Brian Balasia: Digerati
Claire Nelson: Model D
Colin Groth: Strive Network
Colleen Layton: Michigan Municipal League
Dacia Snider: Soapbox Cincinnati
Dan Gilmartin: Michigan Municipal League
David Hunke: Digerati
Eric Avner: Haile U.S. Bank Foundation
Eric Howard: The Alley Project
Erin Kelly: Next Energy
Fred Kent: Project for Public Spaces
Halima Cassells: Detroit Mural Factory
Heather Van Poucker: Michigan Municipal League
Jim Walker: Big Car
John Norquist: Congress for New Urbanism
Joe Hansbauer: uGive
Joe Hudson: Hudson Webber Foundation
Josh McManus: Little Things Labs

Kate Bordine: Ponyride
Kate Daughdrill: Detroit Soup
Katy Locker: Hudson Webber Foundation
Kyle Bartell: Pathways to Parks
Lauren Minkus: The Pittsburgh Foundation
Luke Forrest: Michigan Municipal League
Matt Naimi: Recycle Here!
Melinda Anderson: Detroit Creative Cooridor Center
Melissa Dittmer: RogueHAA
Michael Bricker: People for Urban Progress
Michael Forsyth: Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
Nate Berg: Urban Affairs Journalist
Randall Fogelman: Eastern Market
Regina Bell: Digerati
Rob Ferrari: Michigan Municipal League
Rory Neuner: Public Policy Consultant
Sarah Szurpicki: Great Lakes Urban Exchange
Sean Mann: Michigan Municipal League
Shaunta Marsh: Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art
Suzanne Vier: Tashmoo Biergarten
Ted Balowski: Hatch Detroit
Tunde Wey: UIX Detroit
Vince Keenan: Publius

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