Land Use Lesson 3 : Classifying Land Use
Land use in the State of Michigan is inventoried by township, county, state, and federal governmental agencies, and sometimes by all four. The inventories show how land is being used, how much land is available for specific uses, where the land is located, and who owns it. Government leaders and citizens base decisions on the planning and land use principles established by local and state government. Locally elected and appointed boards examine the predominant and best uses for land and develop a public policy.
Land Use Policy
Land use policies are normally the guidelines and procedural steps that a governing unit uses to determine how the land may be used or how land uses may be changed. It is often referred to as a public policy since it applies to the public in general. City, county, and state governing bodies usually formulate policy. Specific agencies then enforce their policies, such as the Township Planning Board.
Classification of Land Use
Land use policies usually require that land within a governmental unit be classified. The two major classifications are:
• Built-up areas with structures or infrastructures, such as roads.
• Areas that are not built up, such as agriculture, forestry, water, etc.
These two major land use classifications are used to inventory how the land is being used, what uses are nearby, the percentage of a particular land use in a given area, and the sustainability of land uses.
Five Criteria for Land Use Classification
Many land uses can be classified using the following criteria:
• Activity: What is the activity that is used on the land? This might include farming, recreation, retail, etc.
• Function: What function does the land use serve? Is it commercial, industrial, service, transportation, residential, etc.?
• Structural characteristics: What are the surface materials and what are their characteristics (bedrock, susceptibility to erosion, soil type, etc.)?
• Site development characteristics: What types of land uses would be suitable for the site? This is often a reuse question when brown fields are being cleared, and an initial use question when farmland or forests are being considered for another use.
• Ownership: Who owns the land, as well as who owns the adjacent land? Is it government, private individuals, businesses, or other organizations?
Once a thorough land use classification is completed, the land uses in a community can be mapped.
The classification of land use/land cover is important information for developers, government agencies, and private citizens. A comprehensive land classification and land use policy are important steps in avoiding adjacent land uses that are not compatible, such as a metal recycling center and a children’s park.
Stewardship of the land is an important aspect of land use. Land that is restricted for certain kinds of use must be cared for in particular ways or the use is in violation of land use policy. There are stewardship principles people follow in taking care of parks, beaches, and school playgrounds.
Patterns of Major Land Uses in Michigan
Michigan’s land use patterns are very distinct. If one begins in the southeastern quadrant of the state, the land is used mainly for the urban environment. This includes residential, industrial, commercial, transportation, recreational, and service-oriented functions. The southern tier of counties in the Lower Peninsula is largely a mix of agricultural, residential, and urban land uses.
The I-94 transportation corridor links the urban area of southeast Michigan with the urban areas from Jackson to Battle Creek to Kalamazoo to St. Joseph-Benton Harbor. These urban areas are surrounded by agricultural and commercial/ industrial land uses. The western part of the Lower Peninsula is dominated by the state’s second largest urban region, Grand Rapids. The industrial and commercial activity of the urban area surrounds a vibrant downtown district. Western Michigan from Berrien Springs to Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula is dominated by agriculture (especially fruit farms) and recreation. One region in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula and the south-central Upper Peninsula is comprised of Kalkaska sand. In addition to being the state soil, Kalkaska sand is great for forest growth and, when cleared, for general agriculture. Potatoes are a main commercial crop grown on Kalkaska sand.
Lansing is the state capital and linked with transportation corridors south to Marshall, east to Flint, and southeast to the Detroit Metropolitan Area. This southern one-third of the State of Michigan is the population and commercial center. North of Lansing, agricultural land begins to decrease and forested land begins to increase in acreage. There is one exception to the largely forested northern part of the state, which is known as Michigan’s Thumb, the area east of Saginaw Bay. The Thumb is one of Michigan’s most productive agricultural regions. The southern two-thirds of the Lower Peninsula are linked to the recreational centers, lakes, and forests of the northern part of the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula by a transportation network that converges at the Mackinac Bridge. Land use in the Upper Peninsula is primarily forest land with some agriculture and several urban centers, Marquette and Houghton being the two that are dominant. The surface across this region is primarily glacial till with moraines giving it an undulating topography.
The Michigan Land Use Map used in this lesson presents the land use patterns of Michigan.
The inventory of land use for the state reveals how much land is used in specific ways and how much land is available for alternative uses. For example, a large farm field could be replaced by housing or a shopping mall. Changes in land use begin when a person, company, or government agency decides that there may be a better alternative use for a parcel of land. For example, land at an interstate off/on ramp may have been a farm field when the highway was built. The location of the land made it very valuable for other uses, such as a truck stop or restaurant for travelers. Many land use changes are not agreeable to everyone. Disagreements may arise over proposals for changing land uses. The balance between changing land use and permitting “smart growth” is a recurring issue for many communities. People may want to sell land as it becomes more valuable for other uses. The intended use by the new owner is usually proposed to a local planning or zoning board where it is reviewed for conformity with nearby land uses. Landowners have an important voice in land use decisions. This lesson provides students information about where various land uses are located.