The grants went to various smart-growth groups to help with projects such as $80,000 for the Petoskey-Area Open Space Task Force, $80,420 to the Michigan Environmental Council to "explore questions of density," $75,000 to the Michigan Society of Planning for the "Michigan Land-Use Initiative and $85,000 to the Central Lake Superior Watershed Partnership's "Upper Peninsula People and Land Project."

The funding group received more than $4.5 million in grant requests, but only $1 million was available. The group funded an initial $125,000 in pilot grants in January 2001, and a second round in July 2002.

The mission of PAL is to enable people to live in diverse, healthy communities that are environmental sustainable, economically viable and socially equitable. The group is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and administered by Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based public policy research firm.