Most cities in Michigan are losing population. But Lansing is one of the few that's actually growing.
Census estimates show the capital city added 399 people last year. While that only comes out to a growth rate of .3 of a percent, it's still the 6th highest in the state.
Mayor Virg Bernero said one reason for the growth, is that downtown Lansing has become an attractive place to live. The Mayor said, "Young people don't necessarily, they're not into a big commute. A lot of them don't even want to own a car. They certainly don't want to be driving a half hour, hour, two hours to work. They wanna live, work and play in one area and we are increasingly providing that in Lansing."
The Mayor wants to focus on public transportation and affordable housing to keep the city growing. He specifically mentioned CATA's proposed Bus Rapid Transit project that will connect downtown Lansing to the Meridian Mall area.
