Week 12: Macomb County's Urbanization Problem

 Rapid urbanization has transformed Macomb County for better or worse. No, actually just for worse. Throughout out my twenty-one years, more forests have been cleared than zits popped on my face. Houses and strip-malls paint the landscape in a different light compared to years bygone. I've seen this change and I'm disgusted. 

When speaking with my dad, he tells me Macomb was all farmland going back to the eighties. Hall Road was only two lanes while Heydenreich was merely a dirt road. Now Hall Road reaches four lanes across each way and Heydenreich borders five schools. The turnaround is remarkable I can't disprove that. My problems lie elsewhere. For there is no balance when trees are ripped from the earth and buildings are erected in their place. Whenever a brick is laid there isn't a seed planted in fresh dirt. Urbanization is steamrolling the county and nothing is being done to offset the negative effects it produces. 

I've grown up in a suburban development. In the beginning, my house existed with only a handful of others. To the left of our house, a mound of dirt stood where the neighbor's house would eventually be. I'd spend hours playing on that very mound. I spent all my time outside when I was younger. The fresh air that filled my lungs is merely a memory of my youth. The starry nights I remember are hidden by light pollution. Nothing is the same. I yearn for the sights and sounds of the past. They were good days.

The wrongs aren't being corrected. While the ozone layer continues to be depleted, there aren't forests being planted or parks built. If more tress were planted, we'd be able to combat this problem. Surely, we can't be the architects of our own downfall. Stoney Creek is a beautiful park along with Riverbends, but there needs to be more parks like them. Their beauty and resources mean so much more than just places to bike or walk. 

This is Michigan. A state known for it's lakes and forests. The home of ten million people who are fortunate enough to utter the term “up-north.” Yet, when I look at Macomb County, I don't see the Pure Michigan vibes. The overall landscape of the county isn't scenic or idealistic. The area is prospering, but all I see is houses and that's a strain on the eyes... and my heart.