An Overview of Land Use Patterns in Michigan Michigan encompasses 37 million acres of land, and the 2000 census reported a population of 9,938,444. It is a state with abundant physical resources in agriculture and forests and is particularly fortunate to be surrounded by the Great Lakes which house one-fifth of the world’s fresh water supply. These resources have supported a manufacturing economy in Michigan which has meant significant urban land use in lower Michigan and a major urban region in southeast Michigan.
In a November 2001 study produced for the Michigan Economic and Environmental Roundtable titled “Michigan Land Resource Project”, a model was developed by researchers at Michigan State University to project what the future landscape of Michigan would look like if present trends continued. The Land Transformation Model used a number of factors including recent and historical land use/land cover change data and social factors influencing land development patterns in its projections to produce a series of maps that depict land use change for the years 1980, 2020 and 2040. The following section displays images produced from that model with red in the image showing an expansion of built land use (which includes roads, residential, commercial, industrial and public institutions) over the next five decades.
When looking at this model it is necessary to ask, what form with this growth take? The pattern of land use and efficiency with which resources are utilized can have a huge impact on the lives individuals. In the following discussion of some of the land use trends that have occurred in Michigan are described. The impacts associated with these trends are examined in detail on the “ Land Use and You” portion of this website
.In the last half of the twentieth century the dominant trend in land use change in Michigan and throughout the United States has been decentralization of population from urban areas with a subsequent increase in the growth of suburbs. The development that has tended to occur in the suburbs is known as low density development.
Low density development is characterized by larger homes and/or larger lot sizes resulting in greater land consumption. In simple terms this means that residents used more land as they left the central cities. In industrial states like Michigan this trends persists even though population growth is low.
While the suburbs expanded, central cities lost large numbers of their population leading to a lower tax base and general decline of the urban employment and services but little reduction in infrastructure maintenance costs. In Michigan, this trend was particularly evident in two of our largest cities: Detroit and Flint. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Detroit in 1950 was 1,849,568 residents which declined to 951,270 residents in 2000. This was a loss of 48.6% of the total population of the city. The city of Flint also experienced population decline that is discussed in the Genesee County Overview section of this website.
This development pattern has created a number of challenges for Michigan. As the suburbs expand, the growth consumes rural and agricultural land. While many suburban and rural areas welcome the new residents and appreciate the larger tax base, municipalities recognize and often struggle with the economic impacts of growth. The challenges associated with increased development include the demand for new roads, schools, water and sewer systems and additional fire and police services. The cost of development and maintenance of these infrastructure elements and services often exceed the increased tax revenue generated over the long run. Furthermore, loss of agricultural land and open space permanently alters the character of the communities. Loss of rural character, less access to recreation options and environmental degradation linked to land cover change often occur. Increase in big box and strip mall development that accompanies suburban growth can alter the economic viability of small town centers. These and other factors all influence our quality of life.
The challenges in our urban centers come from the need to maintain the existing infrastructure without the tax revenue to support that maintenance. Schools suffer, roadway, water and sewer maintenance stretch city budgets, services such as police and fire are downsized. The decline in the cities also leads to greater social segregation when more affluent residents leave for the suburbs leaving the poor and minorities to deal with the struggles of urban living. As our cities suffer, so does our economic prosperity. Healthy, vital cities attract a young, educated workforce. Without that option, many of Michigan’s youth migrate to other cities in other states where urban job opportunities are present in a vital environment. This exodus of young, educated workers has been termed “the brain drain.” The loss of this work force limits Michigan’s ability to remain competitive in a changing world market.
Clearly, a need exists for sustainable development patterns that will provide for economic prosperity and growth in Michigan while providing for a good quality of life and protection of the resources that make Michigan unique. In 2003, Governor Granholm announced the formation of the bipartisan Michigan Land Use Leadership Council (MLULC). The council was charged with examining the land use trends, causes and consequences in order to provide recommendations to minimize the negative impacts of current and projected land use patterns on Michigan’s economy and environment. The MLULC forged broad agreement on more than 100 policy recommendations to plan a stronger and more prosperous future for Michigan.
