The Ann Arbor City Council met in Larcom City Hall Monday to discuss an upcoming sister city visit on Sept. 15, in addition to city infrastructure development plans.
Next month, representatives from Ann Arbor’s sister city of Tübingen, Germany will arrive in Michigan to talk about sustainability initiatives. Elected leaders Lord Mayor Boris Palmer and other department heads will meet with Ann Arbor officials to learn about Ann Arbor’s A2ZERO vision to become carbon neutral by 2030 and share the progress and impact of their own similar climate protection campaign “Tübingen macht blau,” or Tübingen Goes Blue.
Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations director at the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations, discussed the agenda and said the main motivation for the visit was to discuss environmental issues.
“If it’s not clear thematically, (Tübingen is) coming because of our work on climate action,” Stults said. “So everything is going to have that tie in.”
Stults said every aspect of the sister city visit would center around climate change policy and sustainability. To provide an example, Stults said catering from El Harissa, a local Ann Arbor restaurant that participates in A2ZERO’s reusable container program, will highlight a focus on the carbon footprint of individual ingredients.
“Staff from El Harissa are going to cater lunch, and they’re going to talk about the work they’re doing with us on sustainable food,” Stults said. “If folks do not know El Harissa, (the) entire menu, if you walk in, is labeled like a stop light. Everything green has a low carbon footprint. Everything red has a high carbon footprint.”
The officials’ itinerary will also include several public events, including a reception with University of Michigan leadership at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens on Sept. 19. Additionally, the representatives from Tübingen will engage in a daily learning session on how Ann Arbor approaches issues such as affordable housing, transportation and climate action.
Stults said the visit aims to showcase Ann Arbor’s commitment to sustainability.
“We’re going to shine a light on what makes our city great, particularly our work on climate action,” Stults said.
The council also discussed ongoing efforts to revise its Comprehensive Plan with policy adjustments to spending priorities and other critical issues like housing affordability and equity within the next two decades.
Stacey Chen, a principal city planner from Interface Studio, said public community engagement has revealed support for more diverse housing options and higher density in certain areas.
“There’s clear public support for affordability, sustainability and equity as core values guiding the city’s growth,” Chen said.
Chen then talked about the plan’s long-term goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled through increased passenger density per car and improved public transit. She said congestion might worsen in the short term.
“There is a sense that within the city, beyond commuting to work, there will be an increase of people going to all sorts of things in the city,” Chen said.
The council also discussed the possibility of increasing single-family housing by allowing two to four units per lot in single family-zoned areas. Brent Leonard, the planning manager of the Comprehensive Plan, voiced his concerns with this proposal.
“I think when a lot of us think about a duplex, you’re thinking about kind of like a two-family living situation,” Leonard said. “And in some of those near-campus neighborhoods, you’re seeing where you may have two units, but really there are 10-plus students living in a single unit, because they’re built to have really kind of sub-units within a unit.”
The plan also addresses the growth of downtown Ann Arbor and the creation of new centers of activity elsewhere in the city. However, some members present expressed concerns about the plan’s effect on neighborhood character. Zoning changes would permit these modifications to occur but not require such developments immediately to assure that neighborhoods change gradually.
Chen said that she hopes the changes made to the Comprehensive Plan will increase the wellbeing of the community while still maintaining the feel of Ann Arbor.
“As we continue to gather input and refine our vision, it’s clear that the community values a balanced approach to growth — one that honors our unique character while embracing the need for more diverse housing options, sustainability and equity,” Chen said. “Our goal is to ensure that the Ann Arbor of 2050 is a place where everyone can thrive, with a strong sense of community and resilience.”
Daily Staff Reporter Ariba Hassan can be reached at aribah@umich.edu.
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