Zoning laws dictate what can be built across the state of Michigan.
They have a tremendous impact on our economy, the environment, and our society. In collaboration with local, state, and national stakeholders, we are leading the creation of the Michigan Zoning Atlas to show key housing-related aspects of zoning codes in an online, user-friendly map.
Grand Rapids Regional Atlas Pilot is complete!
The first step in a statewide zoning atlas, this pilot shows where and how housing can be built in 85 local jurisdictions in Ottawa, Kent, and Muskegon Counties. Check out the results on the Interactive Zoning Atlas page.
The need for housing in the fast-growing West Michigan region is pressing, and stakeholders are actively working on fostering more diverse housing. The Grand Rapids pilot developed the methodology and experience to create a statewide atlas while also resulting in data which can be used for an immediate impact. For instance, analysis showed that buildings with 4 or more units are legally allowed on less than 5% of land, while single-family housing - the most expensive type to build, serve with infrastructure, purchase, and maintain - is permitted by right on over 80% of residential land.
Next Atlas region: Grand Traverse County
Northwest Michigan is gorgeous, growing, and expensive.
Word has gotten out about this jewel of an area. Not only are more Michiganders seeking to make “up north” their permanent home, but so are people from across the country and even the world. It’s a good problem to have…if we can accommodate it. Findings from the Atlas pilot suggest that zoning laws are compelling housing development that is extremely costly in an area where labor and materials are imported from more urban regions. Worse, they require such development be so spread out that it threatens to cover northwest Michigan’s prized natural beauty with lawns and asphalt. More diverse housing options can offer more choices for longtime residents and newcomers alike to have housing that meets their needs, their budgets, and their desire to call this splendid region home.
Join us in building out the Michigan Zoning Atlas!
We are ready to use all we learned in the pilot to begin working in earnest toward a statewide Atlas!
MAP is seeking to partner with counties and regions that are ready to gain a better understanding of where and how housing can legally be built. We have thought through the tasks and investment, and we will work with you to develop a program that suits your needs, capacity, and budget.
Why map zoning now?
The need to understand zoning codes – the local laws that shape the location and character of new development – has taken center stage recently in Michigan.
The rising cost of housing, and a broader mismatch between Michigan’s housing stock and housing needs, have fostered local, regional, and statewide interest in zoning reform, especially to allow for more diverse housing types that can offer more affordable options that are near jobs and amenities.
Many communities are realizing they lack the diverse forms of housing needed for today’s populations, but in many cases policymakers are flying blind: there is no consistent, high-quality data describing the boundaries and details of Michigan’s zoning codes. As a result, planners, municipal professionals, and elected and appointed land use officials are not prepared to identify where reforms are needed, and state policymakers lack the granular detail needed to implement visions like the Michigan Statewide Housing Plan. Furthermore, efforts of the business community, such as homebuilders and land developers eager to build a wider variety of housing types, are often stymied by local codes that prohibit innovative solutions to contemporary challenges.
Michigan is one of 30 states that have begun a coordinated effort to create a Zoning Atlas of their own. The National Zoning Atlas project offers a framework and blueprint so that the results will be compatible, and peer support to the research teams.