Detroit Archdiocese Tackles Sprawl

Prompted by economic, cultural, and demographic trends that are causing rising costs and declining conditions in urban and suburban parishes, the influential Detroit Archdiocese this month is launching a multi-year campaign to curb Michigan's sprawling patterns of development. The Archdiocese, which represents 1.5 million Catholics in southeast Michigan, has an enviable track record of successfully influencing crucial public policy debates. The church's decision to help halt sprawl could prove decisive to the Smart Growth movement in Michigan.