Crain’s Detroit Business
Jan. 17, 2024
An awful lot of attention has been placed lately on Michigan’s slow population growth. There are good reasons for that, as has been well-documented: Michigan’s sluggish growth means we will fall behind, economically and politically.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created a council last year to study the problem and it issued a report that recommended three core strategies: Make Michigan the innovation hub of the Midwest, promote lifelong education and develop thriving communities that attract young talent.
The report, its takeaways and ideas for advancing the cause of growing the population were the focus of the recent daylong Detroit Policy Conference put on by the Detroit Regional Chamber.
After all of the PowerPoints and panel discussions, the most poignant headline of the day belonged to John Rakolta Jr., the co-chair of the Growing Michigan Together Council and the chairman of construction company Walbridge.
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