Downtown Pedestrian Technology Connection

There are three new mixed-use developments occurring in downtown East Lansing. Creating free Internet hotspots spanning between them will showcase cool attributes, such as public art and gardens, that attract residents and visitors downtown. The funds will be used for parks and streetscaping associated with parks, a wireless Internet system, public amenities, and public art and gardens around the new plazas.

Highlights:

• Pedestrian Technology Connection brings more residents to the downtown area by providing more Wi-Fi hotspots for local residents to use and keeps them coming to the downtown area for shopping, eating, and free Internet. It is a series of three plazas, one at Valley Court Park (West Village), one near Albert and Abbott, and one near Stone House Village (Bailey Street).
• Residents in the downtown area come to the plazas to use their laptops, and as a result spend more time and money downtown.
• Besides the Pedestrian Technology Connection, the East Lansing Cool Cities Partnership collaborated to create a place to be used by a variety of local artists. The partnership decided to create Scene Metrospace, which is free from interior structure and allows for display of art in a variety of mediums, both performance and visual.
• Local artists come to Metrospace to showcase their talent. It has been a great success, something that the City is very proud of and that a lot of local residents enjoy.
• The Grand River Connection is another great Cool Cities success. It was inspired by the idea of young professionals needing an outlet for creative, low-key networking. The concept took off very quickly. It’s self-sufficient now and doesn’t require any public subsidy. The Grand River Connection’s events regularly attract over 100 young professionals.