URBANPLANET REUNIFICATION OF SPLINTERED TRUE METRO GRAND RAPIDS

[metrogrkid 42]

Once upon a time, the smart-minded members of UrbanPlanet-Grand Rapids had ONE subforum that enfolded all of Michigan's West Coast (i.e. - the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland triangle; the same triangular metro triplex that matched both the one articulated and embraced by West Michigan Strategic Alliance, the new Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area <CMSA> and that itself replaced what was the very logical Metropolitan Statistical Area <MSA>). Today, it is as if this heretofore group of forward-thinking and independent-minded MetroGR folk have acquiesced to or even "punked-down" to the guilty "dumb-demographer-in-DC" that messed this up and split up the historic unification of the GR Metro Triplex that - amazingly - had won the overwhelming support of the traditionally myopic and provincial leaders of GR, Muskegon and Holland.

Please - as the voice and mindtrust of a progressive and dynamic future for the Metro Triplex - can we please come to a consensus to re-merge the "Grand Rapids" and "Muskegon-Holland" subforums back into a "West Michigan Metro Triplex" or "Metro Grand Rapids (w/ including Muskegon and Holland)" designation? Likewise, Detroit and Ann Arbor need unification while Flint - it should be noted - is sure logically bundled with Saginaw, Bay City and Midland.

We do ourselves a great injustice to seperate the hugely interrelated metro concerns of Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland and their 100+ combined sister cities, townships and villages at this time of unprecedented bridging, overlapping and interconnecting of Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.

Now, with that said, check out the associated Michigan's Adventure thread . . . .

[tamias6 26]

Even though the GR/M/H CSA has been split up, culturally we are still West Michigan. Still I'd like to see GR/M/H reassembled back into a single CSA for political and economic purposes.

[jas49503 62]

Once upon a time, the smart-minded members of UrbanPlanet-Grand Rapids had ONE subforum that enfolded all of Michigan's West Coast (i.e. - the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland triangle; the same triangular metro triplex that matched both the one articulated and embraced by West Michigan Strategic Alliance, the new Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area <CMSA> and that itself replaced what was the very logical Metropolitan Statistical Area <MSA>). Today, it is as if this heretofore group of forward-thinking and independent-minded MetroGR folk have acquiesced to or even "punked-down" to the guilty "dumb-demographer-in-DC" that messed this up and split up the historic unification of the GR Metro Triplex that - amazingly - had won the overwhelming support of the traditionally myopic and provincial leaders of GR, Muskegon and Holland.

Please - as the voice and mindtrust of a progressive and dynamic future for the Metro Triplex - can we please come to a consensus to re-merge the "Grand Rapids" and "Muskegon-Holland" subforums back into a "West Michigan Metro Triplex" or "Metro Grand Rapids (w/ including Muskegon and Holland)" designation? Likewise, Detroit and Ann Arbor need unification while Flint - it should be noted - is sure logically bundled with Saginaw, Bay City and Midland.

We do ourselves a great injustice to seperate the hugely interrelated metro concerns of Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland and their 100+ combined sister cities, townships and villages at this time of unprecedented bridging, overlapping and interconnecting of Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties.

Now, with that said, check out the associated Michigan's Adventure thread . . . .

[Rizzo 0]

Grand Rapids isn't separate from the rest of the area. The lake shore is very much apart of Metro.

BTW, this has nothing to do with our CSA. It's simply pondering why the Urban Planet forums don't reflect the current CSA.

[monsoon 1]

.....

BTW, this has nothing to do with our CSA. It's simply pondering why the Urban Planet forums don't reflect the current CSA.

[Rizzo 0]

It wasn't my point, though. I'm only expressing what I assume Metrogrkid was lobbying for. After the decision was made to start new forums for the lake shore area I assumed it was because those were new development centers. Not because they somehow split form the Metro area.

[jas49503 62]

It wasn't my point, though. I'm only expressing what I assume Metrogrkid was lobbying for. After the decision was made to start new forums for the lake shore area I assumed it was because those were new development centers. Not because they somehow split form the Metro area.

[GRDadof3 3631]

It might be time to bring them back together. Even though there is a lot going on in Muskegon, the forum goes in fits and starts.

Welcome back metrogrkid!

[tSlater 302]

Holy CAPS in the title, batman.

[GR Jackson 2]

Honestly though, how much is Holland and Muskegon developement tied to Grand Rapids?

[monsoon 1]

I guess a better question than why don't the forums reflect the CSAs is: how do CSAs reflect reality in the way that the metropolitin areas actually function?

[suydam 1]

I'd vote against re-unifying.

Mainly because with the majority of threads being about GR, you'd lose the occasional good thread about Holland or Muskegon unless it had post-after-post every day like the big hitters in the GR Forum.

For that same reason, despite it's relative quiet, I'm always happy to check out the Kzoo forum and see what's going on in Kzoo. Even if posts are a few days old, I don't have to hunt...Kzoo stuff is on the Kzoo board. That's a nice feature. I'd hate to see it go away.

[Rizzo 0]

When it was the old way I kind of thought it added a critical mass element to the forum. The Holland-Muskegon forum wouldn't even have to mix with the Grand Rapids threads. They could just be added as a subforum to the main GR page.

[Veloise 46]

PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Thank you.

Drop by the Detroit forum sometime; you'll see a couple posts a day. Ann Arbor? One a week during a busy time.

Holland and Muskegon are their own metro areas; whatever UP'ers exist there don't need to wade through pages and pages about our GRAM or DDA banners or police or crime. (Crime in Holland is a hit & run on a rural road.)

HTH

[twoshort 30]

PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Thank you.

[wingbert 767]

I'd vote against re-unifying.

Mainly because with the majority of threads being about GR, you'd lose the occasional good thread about Holland or Muskegon unless it had post-after-post every day like the big hitters in the GR Forum.

For that same reason, despite it's relative quiet, I'm always happy to check out the Kzoo forum and see what's going on in Kzoo. Even if posts are a few days old, I don't have to hunt...Kzoo stuff is on the Kzoo board. That's a nice feature. I'd hate to see it go away.

[GRDadof3 3631]

I for one welcome this blast from the past.

~yeah.

[Veloise 46]

... Metrogrkid is the only one allowed to CAPS LOCK his thread titles Veloise. If you ever meet him, you'll know why.

...

[twoshort 30]

The squiggly line is someone else's calling card.

[GRDadof3 3631]

???

Did, on Hizzoner's back porch. I was whelmed (not "over").

I'd bestow that honor on Wingbert first.

[PBJ 0]

It's been a while since I've posted.. so I'll just throw in..

Welcome back I guess ... Where have you been? Haven't heard much since the "Myster".. bah.. nevermind

Welcome back hope you'll join back in to the discussions, always made them a bit more interesting.

[Eridony 1]

Well I of course vote against recombining the forums. The Muskegon threads will just end up lost among all the GR ones. The Muskegon-Holland forum may not be as active as I wish it were, but I think it's done pretty well. When you look at the Kalamazoo forum that was created at the same time there are only about half the number of posts on that forum as there are in the Muskegon-Holland forum. Despite what some people think Holland and certainly Muskegon are seperate from Grand Rapids.

Also, how does having a Muskegon-Holland forum hurt this forum?

[wingbert 767]

???

I'd bestow that honor on Wingbert first.

[twoshort 30]

It's been a while since I've posted.. so I'll just throw in..

Welcome back I guess ... Where have you been? Haven't heard much since the "Myster".. bah.. nevermind

Welcome back hope you'll join back in to the discussions, always made them a bit more interesting.

[egrguy 95]

I would 'vote' to keep them seperate. The posts for BC/Kzoo, Holland & Muskegon were all rare when they were lumped within the GR section. I do like the individuality they have now as seperate forums.