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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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
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LIZZY PEPPERCORN
Opinion Columnist
VANESSA KIEFER
AND KATE WEILAND
Managing Editors
A return to normalcy
ANYA SINGH | OPINION CARTOONIST
LYDIA STORELLA
Opinion Columnist