The Michigan Land Use Institute was founded in 1995 to establish an approach to economic development that strengthens communities, enhances opportunity, and protects the state's unmatched natural resources. Our mission from the beginning has been to help Michigan avoid the patterns of suburban sprawl and over-development that cause traffic congestion, pollution, loss of community, rising costs to individuals and governments, and a deteriorating quality of life.

These ideas are becoming more widespread in Michigan. Across the state, farmers and business owners, environmentalists and industrialists, urban leaders and suburban homeowners have discovered common ground in the hard work of halting sprawl. A new neighborhood-based grassroots movement has emerged to improve how land is used.

The Institute and other leaders of this movement are laying the foundation for new policies at the state and local levels. Such policies will redirect economic investments to improve Michigan's cities, and to encourage the construction of affordable neighborhoods near downtowns where homes, shops, businesses, schools, and civic institutions are in close proximity.

There is a sense of shared mission and common purpose in all of this - to protect the countryside, strengthen the farm economy, and improve the ways that people can live.

Serving the Community
The Institute is an independent, non-profit research, educational, and service organization operating in the public interest. Sources of funding are member contributions, grants, donations, and fees for services.

We value the integrity of local economic self-reliance, and endeavor to look well beyond the "jobs vs. environment" debate. Our goal is to help build a new kind of economy that celebrates the region's unique character, and recognizes the need to conserve open land and protect clean air and water.

The Institute focuses its work on land stewardship, energy development, resource protection, agriculture, transportation, and environmental and economic policy.

We offer the following services to our members, local governments, businesses, state policy makers, and community groups who are seeking to apply innovative concepts for economic development:

• Research, writing, editing, strategic planning, communications, and desktop publishing.
  
  
• Amassing a public library of books, periodicals, reports, maps, photographs, and videos.
  
  
• Publishing a Web site, special reports, pamphlets, articles, and fact sheets.
  
  
• Organizing seminars, dialogues, workshops, and public meetings.
  

Projects
The Institute manages a focused program of research, communications, grassroots organizing, and reasoned advocacy that includes the following projects:

• Michigan Land Stewardship Program. A project to build a larger public constituency for new policies to halt sprawl.
  
• Transportation and Land Use Initiative. A project to organize popular support for a sensible, region-wide program for northern Michigan that provides choices beyond building new highways.
  
  
• New Entrepreneurial Agriculture. A statewide project to promote a new brand of farming that is revolutionizing agriculture in Michigan and other states as families capitalize on fresh marketing opportunities.
  
  
• Michigan Energy Reform Coalition. An alliance of 30 local governments and public interest organizations that is strengthening oversight of oil and gas drilling.
  
  
• Public Trust Alliance. A coalition of environmental organizations seeking to counter the "property rights" agenda and restore fairness and reason to protect community interests and enforce Michigan's environmental laws.
  
  
• Grassroots Support Center. A project that provides timely technical and financial support to help all-volunteer citizen organizations develop winning strategies when confronting complex environmental and economic challenges.
  
  
• Great Lakes Bulletin. A well-designed magazine featuring in-depth news and thoughtful commentary.
  
  
• Special Reports. Thoroughly researched publications that explore land use issues of importance to Michigan.
  
  
• Public Forums. Regularly scheduled meetings featuring prominent experts who explore workable solutions to sprawl, traffic congestion, and haphazard uses of land.
  
  
• Outreach and Member Services. A program to immediately respond to requests for information, publications, technical advice, and communications support.