(Dow Fellows Program 2014)

Increases in severe weather events are among the adverse effects of climate change. Ann Arbor, Michigan has experienced a rise in the number of storms resulting in above-average rainfall. The City of Ann Arbor included the development of a floodplain ordinance in its 2007 Flood Mitigation Plan as part of its comprehensive flood management effort to protect residents and property from flood damage, to maintain a healthy and vibrant riverine ecosystem, and to qualify its residents for reduced flood insurance premiums. The project team took an interdisciplinary approach to develop the City’s floodplain management overlay ordinance. Drawing upon our backgrounds in law, urban planning, and public policy, they synthesized information from existing Ann Arbor municipal code and master plan elements, floodplain ordinances in analogous communities (Colorado, Minnesota, Vermont, and Washington), federal programs, and policy information, and pertinent case law from Michigan and across the nation. As a result of this process, the team proposed an ordinance that exceeds minimum floodplain regulation standards in the U.S. Code and Michigan state law.

Project Report