Go Green: Creating a Cultural Inclusive Community

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Author: Colin Liang

The greater Lansing area does not seem attractive to MSU graduates, according to Moody’s Analytics, one of the weaknesses for the Lansing area is its inability to retain MSU graduates. Many of the MSU graduates are intended to move to larger cities, such as Chicago, New York, etc. Also, the disconnection between Michigan State University and the city of Lansing has been persistent, the city of Lansing and the campus of MSU present opposite conditions. The city lags on attracting the students to spend time and gather together, the city needs to develop a modern and innovative public space that fulfills the needs of the students to gather and promote a unique culture that would spread through the neighborhood. Four components comprise the principle: a strong tide with the ecology, an inclusive atmosphere achieved by specific facilities, a technology-intelligent approach and trendy, “hip” commerce.

Being environmental friendly has been a buzz word for urban planning projects; indeed, people care more living with nature than they ever had before. Big cities have been striving to create more green space for the residents. Science has shown that tree and plants could cost-effectively clean and cool the city. Lansing area presents a large amount of green space throughout the city; the go better green principle is intended to extend the public space into the green space. Majority of the central gathering locations in Lansing, East Lansing seem to be concrete intense, go better green tries to connect the people with people and with the nature, it presents a picture of an inclusive group of people sharing an ecological harmony

Go better green involves with better ecological environment, it also includes a better humanity environment; cultural and race conflicts seem to be an age-old problem, this problem arises around the globe when people do not embrace globalization and diversity. MSU includes students from around the world. Go better green is a solution to create a public space to gather students with different background and culture, it aims to construct the place in a way that is welcoming and inclusive, people who gather are aligned with the same mindset: appreciate the difference between cultures.

Technology is highly advanced nowadays and the millennial generation is tech-savvy, they are open-minded to embrace and adapt quickly on new inventions on technology. Go better green is strongly infused with technology elements, it provides what people need and it extends the current technology picture into the perspective view. The space is an epitome of what future cities should look like, it experiments on potential technology that would make the cities to think, to calculate, to adjust and to navigate to provide a better presence for the human to inhabit.

Go better green includes businesses. To be financially feasible, the go better green selectively brings businesses into the space. Many said that commerce comes with politics, I would argue that bad commerce brings politics, good commerce does the opposite. On selective vendors and owners are allowed to run businesses and the businesses should facilitate the theme and intent of the space.

Go better green is not a utopian and unrealistic idea, with the efforts of different partners and participants, the project is governmentally and financially feasible. If successfully achieved, the Go better green project should present a view of equilibrium of nature and human, cultures with cultures, current with future and capital with humanitarianism.

An example of this principle at work: Why Every City Needs a Central Park

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