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budget problems.There are 34 states being are eliminating programs, initiating hiring avoid raising the taxes that would be forced to reduce spending because of state freezes, laying off employees, increasing needed to maintain state programs and deficits. These states, including Michigan, fees and fines—doing almost anything to resume support of local programs. CONCLUSIONS 9) Public subsidies have fueled sprawl at the suburban fringe. • 1) The "business as usual" course toward more and more but have generally not been as available to older communities for "urban sprawl"is unacceptable. It will diminish the quality of life in fighting the ravages of disinvestment and abandonment. Southeast Michigan. The metropolitan area lacks the means for 10) The perception of and the existence of environmental improving how we manage the region's growth in order to make degradation in older/urban areas is a stimulus to urban sprawl. certain that all communities are able to benefit—so that the Developers,potential home buyers and business and industry are inevitable growth is an opportunity for all, not a problem for many. reluctant to invest in sites which are near or thought to be near 2. "Urban sprawl,"in Southeast Michigan has two significant polluted streams, factories emitting pollutants or soils contami- dimensions. For some communities,it is characterized by sprawl- nated by chemicals. Because these problems are endemic to ing investment and development at the suburban fringe. For older/urban areas, buyers and investors are more frequently others, the problem is disinvestment and abandonment of attracted to suburban areas where developmentrelated contami- older/urban communities. Southeast Michigan's projected popu- nation is perceived to be minimal. lation will remain relatively static over the next 20 years. For that reason, anticipated fringe sprawl will greatly hasten that decline Local home rule is and should continue to of older/urban areas while simultaneously generating growth-re lated problems on the suburban fringe, such as higher taxes, be the governance bedrock on which growing traffic congestion, disproportionate consumption of land Southeast Michigan functions. However, and spiraling (and duplicative) infrastructure expense. there has been a steady growth of problems 3) Urban sprawl will continue unabated for the foreseeable(20 year)future—if present policies and laws remain unchanged.The that have ignored political boundary lines. result:a significantly diminished quality of life for all citizens of the metropolitan area, from the distressed cores to the burgeoning 11) Housing is another important.dynamic in urban sprawl. suburban fringes. Much of the early stages of sprawl development is driven by 4) Racial discnmination has been,is and likely will continue to be families seeking an improved quality of life, which often means the dominant social factor in Southeast Michigan's pattern of fnnge bigger and/or better housing, in a perceived better environment. development and urban abandonment.That history of discnmination As communities accommodate residential growth, they tend to will also continue to make it difficult to assimilate a rapidly growing zone for lower densities,which lure larger housing and accompa- racial and cultural diversity in the region's population. nying larger property tax revenues. 5) The problem of urban sprawl has many dimensions. The 12) Dramatic changes in the region's economy have contrib- causes of both fringe sprawl and urban decline are numerous and uted to both fringe sprawl and the concurrent urban decline. As complex. Changing just a few factors may not significantly alter the economy has evolved from a heavy industry base to more the pattern.Rather,improvements will be needed in a broad range0 service and research based functions,the resulting development of social, racial/cultural discrimination, physical, economic, envi- pattern has tilted away from the older communities in favor of ronmental and governmental manifestations to most fully address green field"sites on the fringe. the "urban sprawl"problem. 13)Property in Southeast Michigan has become,as some have 6)Uncontrolled urban sprawl is costly to the metropolitan area's characterized it, "fiscalized"—that is, property's "best use"is too taxpayers and its economy.The twin problems of suburban sprawl often seen as generation of profit and/or tax dollars, rather than and urban disinvestment are wasteful of both physical and fiscal its traditional life-nurturing roles of farmland and natural environ- resources. If continued unabated, sprawl's consequences will ment. likely become unaffordable for all. 14)Michigan's over-reliance on the local property tax for financ- 7)Growth in automobile use coupled with the expansion of the ing schools and local services has promoted undue and wasteful road and highway network has made transportation both a cause competition among communities—a competition that produces and an effect of urban sprawl. Auto-driven personal mobility has community winners and losers instead of coordinated and coop- enabled both people and businesses to sprawl outward at an erative progress for all, a competition that fosters disinvestment accelerating rate, while helping isolate a growing disadvantaged in established communities and accelerates sprawl in suburban population trapped in urban centers. A continued low density fringe communities. sprawl development trend means that a population which will grow 15) The fragmented nature of land use decision making is a by only 6%in 20 years will increase its vehicle miles traveled by significant problem. More than 200 units of government function 400%. separately in land use planning and regulation, independent of area wide considerations.The autonomy fostered by strong local A continued low density sprawl home rule traditions results in myriad local decisions that are development trend means that a population individually in the best interests of local communities even while P P P they often constitute, in the aggregate, a pattern of disjointed which will grow by only 6% in 20 years will development. That is often a wasteful process which contributes increase its vehicle miles traveled by 400%. to regional instability as well as instability in the local communities making those decisions. 16) Local home rule is and should continue to be the gover- 8. Expansion of the water and sewer infrastructure is another of nance bedrock on which Southeast Michigan functions.However, sprawl's cause and effect dynamics.As a matter of sound engineer- there has been a steady growth of problems that have ignored ing and economic practice in developing areas, water and sewer political boundary lines. That increasing pressure of area wide lines are often built larger and extended further than needed, in problems has tested the ability of local governments to efficiently order to accommodate potential future growth. Once constructed, i and effectively handle their own local problems even while seeking additional development is often pursued in order to help pay off the some "regional home rule"process by which regional and sub-re- bonds issued to pay for the original sewer or water lines. - gional problems could be addressed, let alone solved. D Planning&Zoning News©/November 1991 9