Maria Arquero de Alarcon, Jennifer Maigret, Susan Landfried and Bin Zhang
The shorelands of the Great Lakes are dynamic systems that shape the culture, economy, and ecology of the region. The 3,200+ miles of Michigan shorelands support one-third of the state’s cities and border four Great Lakes. This territory provides a rich inventory of waterfront conditions that will experience exacerbated conditions of change as future climate conditions amplify current fluctuations. This littoral zone is always in flux. Lake water levels register seasonal to decadal temporal oscillations and are amplified by strong and tall waves. These interactions pose acute challenges to lakeshore communities when negotiating between the necessity for setback regulations and their desire for access and proximity to the water. Given this context, sustainable planning efforts for shorelands must strategically accommodate dynamic fluctuations balanced with efforts for protection, enjoyment, and development.
This article displays a series of visualization techniques depicting shoreland dynamics along Lake Michigan, as part of a research collaboration funded by the Graham Sustainability Institute’s Water Center at the University of Michigan. The initiative draws upon expertise in coastal hydrodynamics, land use and environmental planning, fiscal analysis, vulnerability assessment, and visualization, and it partners with Land Information Access Association (LIAA), a Michigan nonprofit that assists communities in developing resilience planning strategies. As a collaborative research tool, visualization provides a platform for synthesis and enables more engaged and enlightened conversations with local communities, stakeholders, and decision-makers.
Publication Date: Summer 2016