Michigan Association of Planning

A big thank you to the Michigan Association of Planning for inviting me to speak at today‘s Emerging Planning Professionals (EPP) profession development webinar today. Getting to tell my career journey and lessons learned along the way was a great chance to reflect on the last decade+ of lessons. Great questions and great conversation from the small but mighty group. A nice way to kick off a Friday!

The Michigan Association of Planning's Executive Director Andrea Brown, AICP, was invited by Representative Kristian Grant to participate in a press conference on November 14 to uplift a 4-bill housing package to increase housing supply in Michigan. Housing has been MAP's top legislative priority for more than 4 years, and we are thrilled to see housing bills begin to come through.?Local regulatory reforms are important, but a state legislative message that says housing is important is critical to activate real change. “The status quo isn’t going to get more housing built. Housing policy that meets Michigan’s housing demand is critical to keep Michigan economically competitive, to retain our current residents, and to attract new talent to our state,” said?Andrea Brown, AICP, executive director of the Michigan Association of Planning.?

Emerging Planning Professionals: Join us for a session with Christopher, a long-standing EPP member with extensive experience across public, private, and non-profit sectors. He will share insights on adapting to the workplace as a young professional and navigating challenges such as generational differences in communication and work styles. Christopher will also offer practical advice on "leading from below" and the immediate steps Emerging Professional Planners (and those in related fields) can take to succeed early in their careers. Friday, November 22 from 8:30 to 9:30 am (tomorrow!). Come for the hour, or pop in when you have a free moment. Registration and information at https://lnkd.in/eH9FYW8b

Governor Whitmer on November 13, 2024 signed HB 5557 to amend The Michigan Planning Enabling Act to expressly include housing as a core provision of a master plan.?The amendment states that the master plan guide development that includes “a range of housing types, costs, affordability, attainability, ages, and other characteristics, including single-and multiple-family dwellings, to serve the housing demands of a diverse population”.?It further lists …?“an assessment of the community’s existing and forecasted housing demands, with strategies and policies for addressing those demands” among the subjects that a master plan must consider, and housing is included as one of the major interests that the Planning Commission should represent. MAP lobbied strongly for passage of this bill. In her letter of support, Andrea Brown, AICP, MAP's Executive Director advised the Senate Local Government Committee of what planners already know: "Housing is the foundation of a community." The inclusion of a housing element of a master plan has long been on MAP’s?legislative?priority list.?Up until the passage of this bill, the Michigan Planning Enabling Act did not explicitly state that housing must be considered when developing a local plan. MAP is grateful to Representative Grant and the other bill sponsors for recognizing the importance of including housing as a required element of a master plan. To view the documents from HB 5557: https://lnkd.in/eaCbVh-U

?? New Zoning Atlas report drop! ?? "Launching the Michigan Zoning Atlas: Report of the West Michigan Pilot," via Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning, University of Michigan, U-M Graham Sustainability Institute, Housing Next, & Michigan Association of Planning "A key value of the Zoning Atlas is in showing the consequences of the path of least resistance. The Zoning Atlas demonstrates the near-universal extent to which current zoning laws compel the most expensive type of housing, the least efficient use of infrastructure, and the steady consumption of pristine land even in the absence of population or economic growth. These troubling findings serve as the impetus to consider alternative land-use scenarios...which may allow communities to better achieve their housing and other goals." https://lnkd.in/eUS9xwYT

According to mizoningatlas.org, "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." Carlisle | Wortman Associates understand how zoning laws determine what municipal leadership can actually implement within their communities. And, as always, acquiring the most accurate data to support all initiatives is imperative. It's for that reason we'd like to share that on November 14 at 3pm, the Michigan Association of Planning, in partnership with Housing Next and the Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning, University of Michigan, is hosting an informative webinar to present the "Zoning Atlas, an exciting new concept (with the) goal (of mapping) the entire state of Michigan (to better) understand, for the very first time, the legal capacity for new housing in (Michigan)." Follow this link to learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/eNH6gU4N #planning #Michigan #zoning #housing #Webinar #positivity #economy #environment #society #community #municipality #leadership

The Michigan Association of Planning, and our partners at?Housing Next?and the?Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning, University of Michigan, invite you to learn about Michigan’s first Zoning Atlas! The Zoning Atlas is an interactive map that supports municipal planners and officials in removing barriers that prevent new housing development; helps small and new developers navigate zoning codes, especially across municipalities; and provides data for housing advocates looking to influence housing policy. Developed as a pilot project, the Atlas covers the fast-growing Grand Rapids tri-county area. It's proof of an exciting new concept, and our goal is to map the entire state of Michigan so that we can understand, for the very first time, the legal capacity for new housing in our state. Visit https://lnkd.in/ec6DQWJn to register.

Marja Farrow, a Chair member of MAP’s Michigan Black Professional Planners (MBPP) section, recently highlighted the MBPP initiative in an interview with Rolling Out. She noted this while discussing the importance of collaboration in Detroit’s redevelopment. “We just started a Michigan professional Black planners group because we think it’s imperative to increase the visibility of Black people in the planning profession. We want young people to understand that urban planning is a very multidimensional career. It’s a viable career [that is] important to our communities, neighborhoods, cities, and states. It’s something I’m passionate about.” Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/eMDs5kFF

One of the many memorable quotes in Zoning Reform Stories & Studies. "We have workers who come up here that are in the closed resorts over the winter and the campgrounds in the summer. They can't find housing within 50 miles of here—not just here, but in the whole region" - Robert Tasior, Oscoda Charter Township Visit our page on Zoning Reform for Housing (https://lnkd.in/eeJi9qyr) to view the full PDF (scroll down to "Zoning Reform Resources").

A month later, and still taking in all that was learned at the Michigan Association of Planning 2024 conference. Saw familiar faces, met new people, and learned about some great projects going on - including this great slide on equity from the City of Detroit as they take on overcoming decades of challenges. (Also, kudos to the hard work of my coworkers at Williams & Works on some great presentations! Andy Moore, AICPNathan Mehmed, AICP, and others) Great to remember that "it takes a planner.