Smart Growth. Strong Communities. Bright Futures.

The Michigan Institute for Growth & Opportunity (MI-GO) is the nation’s first statewide institute focused on healthy economic & population growth—declining population and loss of talent has created an existential challenge for communities across the country; reversing this trend is the foundation of economic and community health, and a critical indicator of future-ready workforces connected to accessible opportunity, strong economies with shared prosperity, and thriving, resilient communities that are magnets for talent.

Photo from the Detroit in Houston Roadshow, hosted by the Michigan Growth Office
in partnership with Black Tech Saturdays

Why focus on healthy growth? 

• People are our greatest asset. At the end of the day, economic development should serve the people in the community we seek to serve. Decades of data suggest that the most successful approaches to long-term economic growth are holistic; they include a community's ability to attract and retain people, which also requires development of walkable, resilient, amenity-rich places, as well as the more traditional creation of jobs and great opportunities. Focus on growth of people and shared prosperity, as well as other economic metrics, creates a strong foundation for healthy communities, and a holistic agenda for action atthe state and local level.
• Population growth unites us—it's a top priority for both our fastest-growing places & industries in need of talent, as well as some of our slower-growing communities and rural areas most often experiencing the pain and urgency of population declines up close. For these reasons, sustainable growth is a framework for progress. A desire for healthy economic and population growth can provide common ground for folks from different places and of different partisan persuasions, who all share the desire to find a path to a brighter future for all Michiganders—current and future. And lessons learned in MI are largely transportable to states and communities across the country. The bold actions we take in service of creating a state where young people and working families can build their absolute brightest future will create a better world for all of us. 

Michigan’s is a trailblazer on this critical issue, as the first state in the nation to launch a statewide population growth effort to reverse the trends many said were intractable. MI-GO builds on that leadership, establishing long-term infrastructure--beyond any one administration--to advance the case for healthy growth, apply lessons learned to engage our communities, tackle our greatest challenges with policy and research, spark growth with new programs and community-specific support, and ultimately lock arms with Michiganders and state government to achieve the impossible in our state and beyond.   

Our Work: A three-pronged approach to impact

MI-GO’s three pillars of activity are designed to support Michigan’s long-term growth, with the power to drive bold policy change and systemic change, while also supporting critical community growth by addressing unique growth challenges and opportunities at the local level.

• The Tank (Policy & Research): 

  Building on the state’s leadership in sustainable growth, MI-GO will be a nation-leading resource for population migration trends, data, and drivers. 

  Bold policy solutions will center strategies that help communities kickstart growth, while raising median incomes, addressing net migration, and increasing post-secondary attainment.
  
  Finally, MI-GO will strive to deliver insights that keep focus on these critical issues, & produce policies in an actionable format for community leaders and policymakers.

• The Lab (Innovative Consulting & Community Programs): A home to incubate new projects and big swings to spark growth in organizations and communities across our state. We launch pilots and programs designed to address barriers to growth and help to retain talent.

  Informed by data and research, MI-GO will continue to innovate programs that spark growth and advance priorities in MI-GO’s key areas of focus.
  
  Of particular focus, MI-GO will offer strategic support to communities across the state seeking growth-forward strategic planning support unique to their place.  

  MI-GO will also support design and incubation of programs to drive towards community & partner growth goals. 

• The Team (Partner Network): A convener and partner uniting diverse organizations, businesses, and allies who are committed to Michigan’s healthy growth and shared prosperity.
  

  To facilitate collaboration and coordination in support of Michigan communities and the broader growth agenda, MI-GO will bring organizations together statewide for whom our key priorities are a top concern. 

  Partner engagement will center continuing  education on key issues and policy ideas / solutions, collaboration on local programs, and coordination on efforts to support Michigan’s healthy growth and shared prosperity for all Michiganders.