MSU Community Vitality Program Themes

Environmental Health and Well-being
Communities exist in human-influenced environments and the health of those environments influence the health of the people who live in them. Where the natural environment is substantially degraded, human illnesses may result. But the community also produces a social environment. Social conditions can produce regional concentrations of crime or stress-related illnesses. The design of buildings and the physical layout of a community may affect health and environmental outcomes. Some areas may have low crime rates but their physical appearance or lingering reputation for crime may scare off the new investments (personal, family, or business) that can stimulate better economic conditions. Certain types of low-polluting facilities, such prisons and parks, can influence crime and disease patterns in nearby areas. Those who prefer healthy foods may find them difficult to obtain in communities where most of the people have poor eating habits.

Theme Objectives:

1. Develop better understanding of interdependencies between environmental conditions, broadly defined, and community well-being.
2. Help policy makers formulate policies to mitigate negative environmental influences.

Economic Development
Globalization and outsourcing are creating tremendous opportunities, risks and changes for the economic base of Michigan communities. Michigan's traditional economic strength, manufacturing, is shrinking as the service sector grows and as low-skill jobs move to places where labor is cheaper. Economies of scale and improvements in transportation networks have restructured almost every sector in Michigan. Businesses in Michigan's rural areas suffer from lack of access to broadband Internet service, as do the poor everywhere in Michigan. Yet fast Internet access is a requirement for many of today's economic opportunities. Understanding the fiscal and economic impacts of job creation tools such as incubators, tax abatements, research and development assistance, workforce development, and infrastructure development are critical to maintain a competitive Michigan economy.

Theme Objectives:

1. To better understand the forces driving structural change in Michigan's economy.
2. To develop cost-effective ways of stimulating sustained local economic development.

Poverty, Inequality and Social Justice
Michigan is a wealthy state in a wealthy country, yet in some communities the poverty rate is 42 percent. Michigan's poor live in areas that are either very urban or very rural; a few older suburbs also are beginning to decline into poverty. In some Michigan communities, poverty is multi-generational; in other areas, recent immigrants strive to attain the American dream. Poor communities do not enjoy the same level of services or infrastructure as richer communities, putting children at a disadvantage in their mental and physical development. Poor communities often may have to overcome the additional disadvantages of high levels of pollution, fear or crime. A better understanding of how to create the appropriate mix of government, market and non-profit mechanisms to alleviate poverty is needed.

Theme Objectives:

1. To better understand the causes and consequences of poverty, inequality and social injustice in Michigan communities.
2. To help inform federal, state and community actions aimed at reducing poverty, inequality and social injustice.

Community and Neighborhood Involvement
Community interaction in Michigan has undergone a dramatic shift. People no longer stay in the same community for generations. The Internet, cell phones and more media choices have added versatility and enriched lives in many ways, but also have contributed to a decline in the sense of connectedness to place. Community leaders struggle with low levels of trust, involving others in determining future directions for the community, and filling vital paid and volunteer public service roles. Trust and engagement are always important, but especially so in times of insecurity and in responding to disasters.

Theme Objectives:

1. To increase our knowledge of the forces driving change in community and neighborhood involvement.
2. To learn how to sustain and enhance community and neighborhood involvement.