Our Friday update here at kickstART farmington highlights some great articles we’ve read this week dealing with art, creative placemaking, and building great communities. You’re sure to find some inspiration to make your life and our community even better!

1. Why the U.S. Does Not Have High-Speed Rail: More highways are not the answer, not only because they pollute the environment and destroy the neighborhoods they pass through, but also because they’re relatively slow and become congested almost as soon as they’re built….The United States must invest in clean, neighborhood-building, and congestion-relieving trains.

2. On the Benefits of Walkable Neighborhoods: They “have been found to have significant, positive effects for urban dwellers, in terms of social interaction, health, and safety.”

3. How Bicycling Impacts Michigan’s Economy: Bicycle riding … has an estimated $668 million economic benefit annually for the state (and) … comes from several factors, including sales of bikes and related equipment, money spent for tourism and reduced health care costs.

4. How a Palestinian Artist Turned Detainment into Creative Opportunity: This is a piece Khaled Jarrar didn’t plan to make at all, but the denial of traveling with a U.S. visa in hand by the Israeli Military blocking access to his plane in Jordan, offered him an opportunity to interact his art making with a most tempting and tragic reality.

5. Music and the Power of Healing: Years of research have proven that music is correlated with many positive mental, physical, emotional, and social states, which is why it is so necessary to share music with others. Research also shows that music enhances the overall quality of life and has positive effects on patients’ medical care.