For more information on land transformation research at MSU, please contact Stuart Gage, or Bryan Pijanowski. At Public Sector Consultants contact William Rustem.
Land transformation research at UMN is also supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan and the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Project Overview
Over the past several years, public concern has grown about the impact of current development patterns on the landscape of Michigan and the effect those patterns will have on the environmental future of the state. More recently, concerns about "sprawl" or "land use issues" have extended to include questions about the effects of current patterns on the economic future of Michigan. |
A variety of groups ranging from urban, business, and agricultural leaders are all raising serious questions about where we are headed as a state and whether or not the continuation of present trends leads to where we want to be. One sector of Michigan’s economy-our land-based industries, including agriculture, forestry, mining, and tourism/recreation-will be particularly affected by future land use decisions and development patterns.
The first phase of this project, completed by Michigan State University, is a land use projection for the entire state of Michigan, using geographic information systems (GIS). Projections are made to the years 2020 and 2040, using sophisticated computer technology and assuming that present land use development patterns continue (see animation above).
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