Public records first
We focus on records already maintained or published by public agencies, including reports, meeting materials, permit activity, and planning documents.
About Great Lakes Development
Great Lakes Development is a research and data initiative focused on organizing public information about development activity. The project connects records that are often scattered across local government websites, meeting packets, permit portals, reports, and public-record processes.
Local context matters
Development activity is local. We review actions at the city, township, village, county, and regional level.
Better organization
Our goal is to make fragmented development information easier to understand, compare, and analyze over time.
What we track
We monitor the public-record signals that help explain proposed and active development.
Planning & zoning
Planning commission agendas, zoning amendments, rezonings, site plans, special land uses, and approvals.
Permit activity
Building permits, issued-permit reports, permit exports, certificates, and development activity summaries.
Development trends
Project types, locations, timing, approvals, continuances, public infrastructure, and broader growth patterns.
Why we request municipal records
Communities publish permit and development information in different ways. Some provide public dashboards or portals, some publish periodic reports, and others provide existing records through public-record request processes.
- We prefer existing electronic reports or exports whenever available.
- We accept records in the format already maintained by the municipality, including Excel, CSV, PDF, or existing reports.
- We aim to minimize staff burden and avoid requests for custom analysis where possible.
- We are happy to clarify date ranges, record types, and preferred formats.
Records request information
If you received a request from Great Lakes Development, it is generally for an existing electronic report or export of building permit or development activity for a defined date range.
Preferred formats
CSV, Excel, existing report exports, public dashboards, PDF reports, or other native electronic formats.
Defined date ranges
Requests are typically limited to a specific month, quarter, year, or other defined reporting period.
Low-burden approach
We prefer existing reports and exports rather than asking staff to create new analysis or custom summaries.
Contact
For questions about a records request, data format, date range, or project purpose, please contact us at the addresses below.
Data Requests[email protected]
General Contact[email protected]