Econ. Dev. Directory

JED    
   


Land Use

:: Wayne County is the most urbanized county in Michigan. Only one-third of the total land area is considered to be undeveloped, or open space, most of which is located in the southern and western portions of the county in the communities previously described as ‘growing’.

::   Growth in these communities is through expansion of the residential market, although the rate of growth between 1990 and 1995 was evenly divided between housing starts and other developments, such as industrial uses. Table 1 below shows the land use distribution for the County.

::  Distressed communities are those that were developed to support the early industry that has since been abandoned. These communities suffer the consequences of lowest employment opportunities, highest poverty, and insufficient tax base to support the high needs of population.

::   Environmental hazards from previous industrial uses and lack of expansive vacant, available land for the construction of modern industrial facilities often preclude these communities from attracting new industry. These communities also qualify as 'distressed' under the federal guidelines - defined as:

  1. An unemployment rate that is, for the most recent 24-month period for which data are available, at least one percent greater than the national average unemployment rate; and
  2. Per capita income that is, for the most recent period for which data are available, 80 percent or less of the national average per capita income.
Table 1 - Land Use Summary for Wayne County, 1995
Land Use Type Acres Percent
Developed Land    
Commercial and Office
22,782
6%
Cultural, Outdoor Recreation and Cemetery
17,017
4%
Industrial
29,753
8%
Institutional
15,692
4%
Multi-Family Residential
7,171
2%
Single-Family Residential
163,673
42%
Transportation, Communication and Utility
19,960
5%
subtotal
276,048
70%
Undeveloped Land
Cultivated, Grassland, and Shrub
79,119
20%
Extractive
3,084
1%
Water
2,711
1%
Woodland and Wetland
32,505
8%
subtotal
117,419
30%
Total
393,467
100%
Source: SEMCOG, 2002

::  The encroachment of suburban housing onto previously agricultural lands is the largest shift in the County's land use. In 1990, 68 percent of the County's land area had been developed for residential, industrial or other uses. In the ensuing five years, another 2 percent [4,825 acres], was developed. Three-quarters of this increase [3,771 acres] was developed for new single-family residential uses. Housing accounts for the largest share of land used in Wayne County, consuming 170,844 acres or 43 percent of the county's total area. The second largest use is industrial, at 29,753 acres or 8 percent.

Reference Map 2: Land Development, Wayne County, 1995 and 2025

Map - Land Development

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