Teens on Planning Commissions? No More, Says Michigan

Michigan's one-year experiment in giving local mayors and township supervisors the option to appoint someone less than 18 years-of-age to a planning commission appears to be coming to an abrupt end.

1 minute read

October 17, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


""Why don't young people get involved?"

This is the oft-heard refrain as we lament the low turnout of young adults in local elections and their absence from community planning efforts. A small but important step was taken here in Michigan in 2008 with the adoption of the new "Michigan Planning Enabling Act." This legislation opened up new opportunities for local (non-resident) business owners, school officials, and young people (under-18 years-old - not yet eligible to vote) to have a stronger voice in the long-term planning and development of their communities. A diversity of perspectives is essential to the success of any local planning commission. Where local communities take advantage of this opportunity, their planning efforts will be the better for it.

Unfortunately, this 11-month-old Michigan experiment in expanding the potential pool of planning commissioners may be coming to an abrupt end for the under-18 set because of a new bill, SB 726, introduced by Senator Patricia Birkholz, and recently passed by the state Senate."

Thanks to Rodney C. Nanney, AICP

Thursday, October 15, 2009 in Building Place Notebook

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight