Why cooperate? An evaluation of the formation and persistence of voluntary regional land use cooperative arrangements in Michigan

Abstract

For more than a century, planning scholars have been both frustrated and fascinated with the notion of regional cooperation, which has become one of the most sought after yet elusive ideals of land use planning. While scholars view regional cooperation as the answer to most land use problems, they debate whether regional cooperation can be achieved without substantial mandates, incentives, or both. My dissertation contributes to this planning literature by focusing on the problematic of regional cooperation in Michigan, which is regarded in the planning literature as a state with permissive planning institutions that are unfavorable to cooperation. There are two parts to the puzzle of cooperation in Michigan: first, whether municipalities voluntarily cooperate, and second, whether this ensuing regional cooperation produces desirable planning outcomes. My dissertation focuses on the first part. Using mixed methodology comprised of surveys of local elected officials and case studies of selected municipalities, I focus on whether regional cooperative arrangements can be crafted voluntarily, and assess the factors that affect the formation of such arrangements. Results show that half of the surveyed Michigan municipalities cooperate on land use issues. These municipalities, however, differ considerably in the cooperative arrangements they employ. While some municipalities cooperate informally by just conversing, others establish formal cooperative mechanisms such as joint master plans and zoning ordinances. Further, the factors that determine whether a municipality makes the initial decision to cooperate are not the same factors that determine whether a cooperative effort is formalized. The perception of future growth pressure and the internal support for cooperation in a municipality are important in explaining a municipality’s initial decision to cooperate. The roles of informal institutions and county and regional planning agencies serve as important explanatory factors of the extent to which municipalities formalize their cooperative efforts. Finally, and somewhat surprisingly, a high degree of regional governance culture appears to make it less likely that localities will engage in formal cooperation. Examining cooperation in this light not only allows an in-depth view into decision makers’ calculus of cooperation but also offers insight into the underlying causal mechanisms of the key factors predicting cooperation.

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