Climate-Concerned Ann Arborites

Our Mission

If there’s one thing most Ann Arborites agree on, it’s that climate change is real, it’s bad, and we need to stop it. We all know that far more people work in Ann Arbor than there is housing, but with single-family zoning restrictions in place and few empty lots to build on, we can’t increase the number of housing units. So workers have to commute in, spewing greenhouse gases along the way. We at C2A2 feel this situation has got to change.

That’s why we support allowing gentle density (duplexes, ADU’s, triplexes and quads) in single family zones, and taller housing along transit corridors (buffered so adjacent properties have gradual changes of height). We welcome the lifestyle afforded by more efficient use of housing footprints: more schools, stores and jobs within walking distance, and safer and more convenient biking, walking and transit.

Some people feel that only a profit-motive could be driving supporters of more housing. There is a tendency to simply want everyone to line up “for” or “against” without hearing each other out. Perhaps if we share the personal experiences that contribute to our conviction that increasing housing options is essential to address the climate crisis, it will promote greater understanding of our values.

Our Personal Stories

Some say “density isn’t sustainable because new housing incorporates embodied energy.” Here are some personal perspectives from people who feel otherwise:

Through my work with the Huron River Watershed Council I learned about the efficiency of people living close to others. This makes the carbon footprint of each household much smaller, because each household takes less energy to heat or cool, uses less building materials, uses up way less land, creates less impervious surfaces, needs to take fewer car trips – the list is endless. Kris Olsson

My parents financed their retirement by subdividing our hundred-acre farm in western Michigan into ten acre lots, permanently taking all that rich farmland out of production. They gave it over to a handful of homeowners, who then had long commutes to schools and jobs (I was on a bus for 45 minutes each way as a child). I support regional planning that prevents the pressure to do this type of thing. Yes, each new home represents embodied energy, but new homes need to go somewhere. To me it’s only logical: to reduce emissions from cars, new homes should be built near the jobs, to cut commutes. We must think regionally when making sustainability calculations–carbon emissions know no boundaries! And with single-family housing restrictions, small houses are being torn down and being replaced by big fancy homes. I think row houses and/or duplexes/triplexes would be more in keeping with the neighborhood, and far more efficient use of the land. Barbara Lucas

As an architect in Ann Arbor I am aware that we need to include the sustainability measures required from developers in our city when making comparisons: New houses built here are more sustainable (energy efficient, etc.) as opposed to communities without these requirements. That’s on top of the enormous benefit of reducing vehicle miles traveled, when housing is built near jobs. Lissa Spitz

Some critics of density feel that the “car-dependent single family home with a yard” lifestyle is what people ultimately want. Here are some lived experiences to the contrary:

I live in a neighborhood that is within walking distance to campus, where I was able to commute to work year round by bike. There are many small businesses within the bounds of the neighborhood or very close by: restaurants, coffee shops, markets, child care, dental offices, recreation and more. I feel so fortunate that I have the ability to meet most of my day-to-day needs without needing to drive. I would love for more people to be able to live here, in neighborhoods like mine, so they can experience the pleasure of living without needing to rely on a car to go everywhere. – Ginny Rogers

I don’t drive. I have lived in San Francisco and New York City, where it's quite easy to get around without a car. Public transportation is a wonderful thing! I sometimes contemplate how much money I haven't had to earn in order to support the dependency of an automobile. In my late 50s, I decided to move back to Ann Arbor, one of the few places in the U.S. that could meet all my requirements, including the ability to live without a car. I live in a condominium community and the social interactions with my neighbors are a large part of my life. We have a community garden here, which is rewarding both for the fresh produce and for the friendly relations with others who are involved. Many folks here do have a car, but quite a few of them rarely use their cars, but, like me, rely on the bus system. If we had more multi-family dwellings, especially in transit corridors, the bus system would probably get even better, as the frequency of service is determined in large part by usage. I fully understand why people don't want a 10-story high rise next to their private house, but my reading of proposed changes is that they place serious limits on the areas where such large structures could be built, while making the possibility of smaller multi-unit housing (somewhere between 2 and 6 units) more realistic. Such housing is more affordable as well as being positive in terms of fostering a sense of community. Judith Nickolai

As we face unprecedented climate disasters across the country and state, it’s important to think about what we can do in our own communities. As someone who lives in Ann Arbor’s apartments, I want a comprehensive plan that accounts for the unstable future ahead. High density housing, which consolidates development, encourages walkable communities, and centralizes the population center, is vital to reducing our climate emissions from construction to car emissions. We need to encourage people to live inside the city, so that we can conserve Michigan’s natural environment outside of it and promote the use of our wonderful public transportation and city services. As Ann Arbor already faces an affordable housing shortage, the expansion of high density and mixed use development will allow us to meet the growing population where it’s at and continue down the path A2Zero has set forth for us. High density housing may not sound like the right fit for Ann Arbor, but it already is. Apartments across the city, like the one I live in, allow us to live close together, find community, share resources, and consolidate services. Rather than a garbage truck driving to twenty houses over a mile, they can collect the same amount in 1-2 stops. Bus stops become closer to more people. Options other than individual cars for your commute become the norm, rather than exceptions. The comprehensive plan’s model isn’t just for college students who want apartments, but every family and lifestyle as times change. This development won’t change Ann Arbor’s character. But housing shortages, carbon emissions and climate change, and outdated planning and zoning will. Sirianna Blanck

My wife and I lived for 17 years in A2 without a car–ten of those years with a young child. We were fine: we walked, we took the bus, we rented a car for the occasional trip that really needed it. We got a lot of exercise and saved a ton of money. We enjoyed Top of the Park, the Michigan Theater, and so many lectures and film series and book discussions at the university. It’s not the only way to live, but it’s great if you get the opportunity.

After thirty years of long commutes, we moved to Ann Arbor to live a walkable lifestyle. Our family can walk or bike to jobs, both UM campuses, bus stops, the B2B trail (which we use to bike to Ypsi and Dexter), the Amtrak station (which we use for trips all over the U.S.), grocery stores, the Farmer’s Market, libraries, and tons of parks and restaurants. We built an ADU within our house for ‘aging in place,’--we rent it out for about half market rate in return for help around the house. Our housemates work at the hospital and/or attend UM. We all can go for weeks without driving! We have a small yard and a community garden plot, and sometimes I think I’d gladly live without the yard! Our daughter is a single mom who rented a house with a yard but found she didn’t have time to keep it up, so moved out into an apartment and takes her son to nearby parks, instead. Not everyone needs or wants a yard. Barbara Lucas

I first moved to Ann Arbor in 1968. I didn't own a car until I was 42, and later on went 5 years without owning one. Grocery stores, a branch library, many restaurants and other businesses are within walking and biking distance, and we are on a bus route for those who need it. Bonus: taking the AAATA is free since I turned 65, 9 years ago. I’m in a condo complex with over 400 units, yet still designed with plenty of green space, all within the city limits. Having so many neighbors close by is great; I have much more social interaction here, positive ones, than I did living further away from others. -Jeff Gaynor
I'm fortunate to live about two miles from my work on North Campus. In 35 years, I've never needed a parking pass, because I cycle to work (or use the wonderful AAATA #22 when it's snowy or icy). I want more people to have that opportunity. A variety of housing types in my neighborhood would accomplish that. Jonathan Levine
My husband and I returned to Ann Arbor for Law and Graduate school because, after living in some other cities, we loved the place and wanted to return to the walkable lifestyle it afforded to us. Unfortunately, we discovered that we couldn’t really afford a house within city limits. We bought a house in Ann Arbor Township. So far I can ride my bike into town, but I know that eventually this won’t be possible. Kris Olsson

We at C2A2 agree it can be hard to see things change. But we are united in our belief that the threat of climate change is exponentially far greater than any temporary discomfort we may feel as our community changes during its journey to becoming more sustainable. Many of us are older, and feel we MUST embrace the changes necessary to leave a livable world to those who come after us:

My daughter is having increasing difficulty living in a world where it will only get hotter and smokier. Below are her thoughts. Kris Olsson
“For the rest of my life, will there be more and more days, weeks, months where it’s unhealthy to go outside? So far it’s been a few days out of the summer. How long until it is weeks? Then the whole summer, without any respite, an endless plume of smoke pouring over us? For my whole life, I have been able to step outside and enjoy the feeling of fresh air, the sound of birds and insects and the sense that the world is big and beautiful no matter what may be happening in the small, temporary goings-on of my life. The thought of losing this is staggering. Like the difference between living in a cage you can open and leave whenever you want, and living in a cage with no door.”

Send us your story!

Note: Suggestions on how you feel the Comprehensive Plan could be more environmentally-sustainable are welcome!