A comprehensive reworking of road design standards and public input procedures known as Context Sensitive Design (CSD) got a major boost on December 23, 2003, when Governor Granholm issued Executive Directive 2003-25. The directive calls on the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to develop and implement a CSD policy for future projects. The directive was well received by environmental groups and other supporters who argue that CSD would insure a more environmentally-sound and citizen-friendly approach to road building in a state historically plagued by contentious mega-scale highway projects.

The Governor's support for CSD has been strong since her inauguration, and included the appointment of Gloria Jeff, one of the nation's foremost experts on CSD, to head MDOT as its director. Close on the heels of the release of the final report of the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council, the Governor announced that CSD would be one of her top seven land use goals at a large conference on regionalism in Grand Rapids in November 2003.

The Michigan Land Use Leadership Council was a high-level task force assigned by the Governor to address the problem of urban sprawl. The Council's final report (available at www.michiganlanduse.org) was released in August 2003, and specifically called for "alternative road design standards where safe and otherwise appropriate, including context-sensitive design rules that minimize environment and community charter impacts (Chapter 6, Recommendation 9)." MEC played a key role in the Council and helped ensure good land use and transportation recommendations such as CSD were included throughout the document.

CSD as defined in the Governor's directive is "a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach involving stakeholders for the development of a transportation facility that fits its physical setting and preserves scenic, aesthetic, historic and environmental resources, while maintaining safety and mobility." The coordination of transportation and land use policies is essential to the growth of Michigan.

The new approach to transportation-related development should help communities sustain growth while curbing unwanted sprawl. While in the past MDOT attempted to incorporate the public's input through public hearings, the process often left projects delayed and residents frustrated. By including community members in the initial planning process, these problems can be alleviated, and through successful collaboration, citizen involvement in MDOT projects will help preserve community resources while maintaining safety and mobility.