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New report outlines how smaller, older industrial cities can tackle environmental and economic sustainability.

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Broken Environment
CRC Flickr User: ndanger

After decades of disinvestment and population loss, some of Michigan’s cities feel they’re not able to tackle new challenges such as climate change.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is offering its report “Greening America’s Smaller Legacy Cities” for free. It outlines different things older, industrial cities can do and how they can get help to get those things done.

But, one of the authors of the report, Joseph Schilling, says it’s not easy. “This is hard work when you’re trying to transform a community’s approach. But at the same time, we need to do it now, right? Climate change is not giving up. It’s relentless. It’s only going to get worse.”

He says federal and state money is available and cities can find partners to help them negotiate the red tape.

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Lester Graham reports for The Environment Report. He has reported on public policy, politics, and issues regarding race and gender inequity. He was previously with The Environment Report at Michigan Public from 1998-2010.