Land Use Programs

Many land use issues currently affect Michigan, ranging from water quality to urban sprawl, from farmland preservation to inner-city redevelopment. Michigan State University, as the nation’s premier land-grant university, is uniquely poised to help address these issues. A new effort is underway at MSU to bring together the university’s wide range of land use-related research, outreach, and educational efforts to better serve citizens, local officials, and municipalities.

There are several major thrusts to this effort and several affiliate projects, all of which include a strong public policy component. A core group of faculty members has been organized to guide the University’s land use efforts. These faculty represent many different departments on campus. Please visit the links on this site to obtain more information on related activities and resources. A recent effort of the group was the local planning and zoning survey; the first statewide survey on this topic since 1994. Results and related resources are available online.