I

n 2021, the Ann Arbor 
City Council voted to 
zone 
newly 
annexed 
residential neighborhoods for 
single-family use. The same 
year, the state of California 
effectively 
banned 
single-
family 
zoning 
when 
the 
Legislature 
passed 
a 
bill 
that allows homeowners to 
subdivide 
their 
property 
into two lots and build two 
homes on each of those lots. 
California took a step in the 
right direction; Ann Arbor 
did not.
Single-family 
zoning 
originated in Berkeley, Calif., 
to prevent a Black-owned 
dance 
hall 
from 
moving 
into a predominantly white 
neighborhood. 
Single-
family zoning in Ann Arbor 
is rooted in racism as well. 
Advocates 
for 
diversifying 
housing zoning cite a 1970 
article that stated larger lots 
would be too expensive for 
Black people to purchase. The 
legacy of this law lives on in 
the United States. Seventy-
five percent of the residential 
land in major American cities 
is zoned for single-family 
use, contributing to the racial 
wealth gap.
While cities like Berkeley 
and Ann Arbor are known 
for 
being 
progressive, 
the 
application 
of 
these 
laws 
suggests 
otherwise. 
In 
addition 
to 
structural 
racism, single-family zoning 
contributes to many other 
problems in Ann Arbor and 
the U.S..
One such issue is rent 
prices. The median rent in 
Ann Arbor is up 11.1% from 
last 
year, 
raising 
median 
rent prices to $1,300. This 
is expensive by itself, and 
appears even more dramatic 
when compared to the median 
rent of $1,090 in Detroit and 
the statewide median rent of 
$953.
The reason that single-
family zoning contributes to 
high rent prices is because it 
prohibits multi-unit housing 
from being built on single lots, 

artificially decreasing supply. 
There is a limited supply of 
land in the city of Ann Arbor, 
making it difficult to build 
enough housing if each lot can 
only accommodate a single 
unit. Allowing homeowners 
to build multiple units on a 
single lot would expand the 
housing supply in Ann Arbor, 
putting downward pressure 
on rent prices and giving 
people more housing options.
Another benefit of ending 
single-family zoning is that it 
allows for greater diversity in 
the use of property. In many 
residential areas like Ann 
Arbor, people have to drive 
to do activities outside of the 
home, including to go to work, 
school and the supermarket. 
One important reason for 
this problem is that property 
is 
zoned 
exclusively 
for 
residential use in residential 
areas. Policies to end single-
family 
zoning 
could 
lead 
the way for the zoning of 
residential communities into 
mixed-use commercial and 
residential, allowing for the 
construction of small local 
businesses 
in 
residential 
areas. This would accomplish 
two important goals. This 
would have the benefit of 
building more housing, while 
making 
communities 
more 
walkable and social.
But 
these 
policies 
do 
not have to go that far. An 
important feature of ending 
single-family zoning is that it 
does not require homeowners 
to build a second unit on their 
property; it just gives them the 
option to do so. This is a free 
market response to a major 
problem in Ann Arbor that 
reduces rent prices, increases 
the housing supply and could 
provide 
homeowners 
with 
another stream of income. 
On its own, eliminating 
single-family zoning will not 
solve the problem of high 
rents in Ann Arbor. But this 
policy could help alleviate the 
burden on city residents, both 
Ann Arborites and students 
alike, 
while 
City 
Council 
considers other policies to 
make Ann Arbor a more 
affordable city. 
One major factor in the 

housing makeup of Ann Arbor 
is the University of Michigan. 
The University is the largest 
employer in the city, while 
also being one of the single 
largest providers of housing 
as well as one of the largest 
land owners. The University 
of Michigan without a doubt 
has a role to play in addressing 
housing affordability in Ann 
Arbor. Duke University in 
Durham, N.C., has partnered 
with the city to identify the 
needs of the neighborhoods 
surrounding the university, 
including 
addressing 
affordability 
and 
fostering 
community 
development. 
Considering the gargantuan 
footprint that the University 
of Michigan occupies in Ann 
Arbor, it should be involved 
in any attempt by the city to 
lower housing costs.
Ann 
Arbor 
should 
also 
eliminate 
single-family 
zoning as a way to address 
racial inequities. As I wrote 
above, single-family zoning 
arose as a way to prohibit 
Black buyers from purchasing 
homes 
in 
predominantly 
white 
areas. 
Now, 
Black 
people 
have 
the 
lowest 
rate 
of 
homeownership 
compared 
to 
other 
racial 
groups, 
and 
property 
in 
Black 
neighborhoods 
is 
valued at 23% less than in 
white neighborhoods. Today, 
Black people are excluded 
from 
neighborhoods 
with 
higher property values due 
to the legacy of redlining 
and current racial inequities. 
While 
eliminating 
single-
family zoning will not end 
racism, it could be a way 
for Ann Arbor to address 
its history of racism in the 
housing market.
During the 2020 election 
cycle, 
candidates 
for 
City 
Council addressed the need 
to confront the affordability 
crisis in Ann Arbor, including 
ideas 
like 
offering 
legal 
guidance 
to 
renters 
and 
creating affordable housing. 
Along with these policy ideas, 
City Council should end single-
family zoning ordinances to 
increase the housing supply 
and lower rent costs across 
Ann Arbor.

I

f you’ve been on Central 
Campus since the start of 
the semester, you know it’s 
impossible to miss the construction 
on State Street. The project, 
which began in early June, has 
closed off the section of the street 
between William Street and North 
University Avenue. The project is 
designed to remove the curb in this 
space, making it more accessible 
to pedestrians and, in the warmer 
months, outdoor dining. While 
the project was initially slated 
to be completed by Labor Day, a 
number of factors have caused 
that date to be pushed back into 
October at the earliest. Beyond its 
immediate impacts on foot traffic 
and commerce, this project has 
revealed a number of issues with 
Ann Arbor’s public transportation 
system and furthered the debate 
about Ann Arbor’s walkability (or 
lack thereof).
The construction project has 
directly interrupted the traffic 
flow for cars going down State 
Street. More importantly, it has 
also temporarily created a jumble 
of 
walkways 
for 
pedestrians, 
who, on average, make up a larger 
portion of movement in this area of 
Ann Arbor compared to vehicles. 
From the orange plastic rails to the 
loud machinery, pedestrian flow 
and businesses of local stores has 
been largely disrupted.
Pedestrians are not the only 
recipients of this project’s disarray; 
buses, which many students rely 
on, face the issue of navigating 
around the chaotic street. This 
transportation system is especially 
important for students who must 
travel between Central and North 
Campus, who may now expect 
a delay in their commute. The 
bus schedules have a history of 
issues prior to this project, and 
the prolonged construction may 
only exacerbate the bumpy bus 
schedules, 
potentially 
causing 
more setbacks and transportation 
unreliability. 
Additionally, this construction 
has a disproportionate negative 
effect 
on 
disabled 
students. 
Coupled with the narrow space 
between the plastic orange railings, 
the un even 
and lumpy rubber paddings make 
it difficult for disabled students to 
traverse around State Street.

Overall, the unexpected delays 
with the construction project have 
made it even more bothersome 
for students and Ann Arbor 
residents. As the 
State 
Street 
Construction Project stated on its 
Facebook page, “Phase 1 will take 
place in the summer of 2022 (June 
1 – Labor Day).” As we near this 
project’s proposed end date, Ann 
Arbor residents are eager for its 
completion.
So, what will State Street look 
like once we are on the other side 
of this construction project? In an 
attempt to convert a central area 
of Ann Arbor into a space that can 
be shared more equally by citizens, 
the “Woonerf Design,” an urban 
planning strategy developed in 
the Netherlands and Belgium, was 
adopted. This would give State 
Street a new makeover, complete 
with an all-tile road and curbless 
sidewalks. 
First and foremost, a new road 
will be beneficial to car and bus 
drivers who, over the years, have 
become accustomed to a needlessly 
bumpy ride on State Street. It 
will also improve sidewalks by 
making 
them 
smoother 
and 
bigger, benefitting not just those 
commuting by foot, but also 
those using bicycles, roller skates 
and skateboards, who, between 
cracked sidewalks and poor roads, 
have to pick the lesser of two evils.
At its core, this project is about 
improving the lifestyle of the Ann 
Arbor citizens, and, if its vision 
is truly realized, State Street will 
become even more of a social hub 
than it currently is. For locals, this 
would add another location to the 
list of “fun places to go with your 
family,” in Ann Arbor. Store and 
restaurant owners will finally 
reap the benefits of a more socially 
active area: more customers and, in 
the case of restaurants, more space 
for outdoor seating.
Students will be some of the 
biggest 
beneficiaries 
of 
this 
project. 
The 
new 
expanded 
sidewalk layout will decrease 
travel times between classes and, 
as mentioned before, will make 
biking and skateboarding safer 
and faster. The flipside, however, 
is that cars and buses will have to 
deal with slower-moving traffic, 
as this kind of road minimizes 
the size difference between the 
sidewalk and the road.
While the changes to State Street 
are a step in the right direction, 
improving Ann Arbor’s urban 

planning doesn’t stop here. The 
city is filled with small problems 
that could be fixed by quick 
projects. For example, all across 
Ann Arbor, streets — busy streets at 
that — lack necessary crosswalks. 
Adding crosswalks between the 
University of Michigan Museum of 
Art and the Law Quad, East Quad 
and the Ross School of Business 
and at several spots along State and 
Huron Streets would go a long way 
toward making Ann Arbor a safer 
and more accessible place to live 
and walk.
Beyond that, the city and 
University’s bus systems need a 
massive overhaul. This editorial 
board’s discussion of how the 
State Street construction would 
eliminate 
the 
right-turn 
lane 
quickly turned into one about 
the multitude of short to long 
term issues with Ann Arbor’s bus 
system. The timescale of resolution 
for these issues varies widely, but 
each is solvable, and it’s important 
for Ann Arbor residents and the 
city’s municipal government to be 
aware of some solutions.
The simplest problem to fix 
is the lack of student awareness 
about the University’s Blue Bus 
system and the city of Ann Arbor’s 
TheRide system. If they aren’t 
already, students should be aware 
of the multiple dedicated apps and 
websites that track the Blue Bus 
system. Additionally, they should 
be aware that Google and Apple 
Maps include the appropriate 
city or University bus route to 
get to their destination, as well as 
provide real-time updates on when 
buses arrive at their starting and 
ending points. If students aren’t 
already doing so, they should be 
utilizing the unlimited free access 
to TheRide that they get by swiping 
their MCard while boarding.
In the medium and long term, 
however, the Blue Bus system 
in particular needs structural 
improvements to its routes and 
capacity. 
On 
both 
campuses, 
it needs more express buses 
that only stop at places that are 
further away from each other, 
so students who use it to quickly 
travel long distances can do so 
more efficiently. North Campus 
also needs a loop that only services 
North 
Campus 
Buildings, 
so 
students that live off campus there 
can access the Blue Bus as easily as 
their peers near Central Campus.

E

ver since the Goldwater-
Nichols Act was passed 
in 
1986, 
the 
current 
president’s 
administration 

has been mandated to present 
an annual National Security 
Strategy to Congress. The Biden 
administration’s strategy is set 
to be released in the following 
months, setting the tone for 
America’s foreign policy and 
priorities abroad. 
The National Security Strategy 
is an opportunity for the executive 
branch to get on the same page 
regarding the country’s most 
vital values, goals and plans. 
It forces the government to 
proactively address global issues 
and threats rather than react 
to situations when they are an 
immediate threat. At a time of 
high domestic divisions on issues, 
however, it is essential for the 
Biden administration to release 
a National Security Strategy to 
prioritize uniting the country 
on domestic values and aligning 
these values with U.S. foreign 
policy. 
Government 
intervention 
abroad takes many forms. The 
United States promotes family 
planning, women’s sexual rights 
and domestic violence mitigation 
among 
its 
international 
initiatives. The U.S. government 
is the largest donor to family 
planning and reproductive health 
efforts globally. In addition to 
monetary aid, the U.S. has long 
engaged in peacekeeping efforts 
internationally with the goal of 
mitigating violence and conflict. 
However, the U.S. seems to be 
struggling 
domestically 
with 
these same issues. 

A 
Siena 
College 
Research 
Institute study found Americans 
are extremely divided on voting 
rights, immigration, gun control 
and abortion, among other issues. 
Public 
Policy 
senior 
Sophia 
Dara shared similar feelings, 
saying she believes the U.S. is 
most divided on the “right to 
abortion and bodily autonomy, 
how 
(Americans) 
manage 
international conflict and how 
guns should be regulated.” 
Despite there being a lack of 
domestic consensus on many 
social issues, the Siena College 
study identified three major 
common value areas: equality, 
liberty and progress. A large 
majority of those interviewed 
identified these as values they 
hold dear, regardless of political 
affiliation. 
The 
government 
should capitalize on these three 
shared values to build domestic 
strength. 
Public 
Policy 
senior 
Jake 
Cohen said that “the U.S. has 
a responsibility of protecting 
democracy, but it should not 
come at the expense of forgetting 
infrastructural 
problems 
in 
the U.S.” According to the Pew 
Research Center, a majority of 
Americans believe that common 
values 
rather 
than 
common 
problems bring nations together. 
Biden’s 
National 
Security 
Strategy should make identifying 
and promoting American values 
a priority to bring the nation 
together so that it can be stronger 
on the global stage. 
The 
United 
States 
should 
continue to invest in international 
human 
rights 
and 
equality 
initiatives. It should also keep 
in mind that being united and 
strong domestically is essential to 
having successful international 
initiatives. If the U.S. can’t 

promote its values at home, how 
can we expect other countries, 
allies or not, to respect American 
principles? 
The U.S. derives much of 
its influence and power from 
its strong economy. However, 
the American middle class has 
struggled in recent years as 
income and wealth inequality 
has 
grown. 
Biden’s 
National 
Security 
Strategy 
should 
therefore prioritize investments 
in the American economy and 
middle class. By prioritizing 
workers over corporate interests, 
the U.S. can promote inclusive 
economic growth, closing the gap 
in income and health inequality, 
two initiatives the U.S. advocates 
for internationally. Investments 
in 
research, 
education 
and 
technology can also improve the 
lives of the American people. 
When 
asked 
if 
she 
feels 
proud to be an American, Dara 
answered, “Sometimes. I think 
it’s hard to deny that we live in a 
country with great privilege and 
resources, which makes me feel 
lucky to live here. However, these 
opportunities are often limited to 
those in the top socioeconomic 
classes, leaving behind the rest 
of society. It can feel shameful to 
live here sometimes because of 
the barriers we put on BIPOC and 
impoverished people.” 
The U.S. needs to address 
inequities in opportunity and 
invest in restructuring systems 
that exacerbate inequality to 
improve the lives of Americans 
and 
be 
a 
stronger 
player 
internationally. Choosing policies 
that 
put 
Americans 
before 
corporations, promote American 
social values and strengthen the 
U.S. economy should be vital 
priorities for Biden’s National 
Security Strategy. 

Opinion

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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of The Daily’s Editorial Board. 
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Julian Barnard

Brandon Cowit

Jess D’Agostino

Ben Davis

Shubhum Giroti

Devon Hesano

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Siddharth Parmar

Rushabh Shah

Nikhil Sharma

Lindsey Spencer

Evan Stern

Anna Trupiano

Jack Tumpowsky

Alex Yee

Quin Zapoli

Biden’s national security strategy 
should have a domestic outlook

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 — 9
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

End single-family zoning in Ann Arbor

From The Daily: State Street construction 
reveals deeper transportation dilemma

THE MICHIGAN DAILY 
EDITORIAL BOARD

 Read more at MichiganDaily.com

LIZZY PEPPERCORN
Opinion Columnist

VANESSA KIEFER 
AND KATE WEILAND 
Managing Editors

A return to normalcy

ANYA SINGH | OPINION CARTOONIST

LYDIA STORELLA
Opinion Columnist

