Brighton Expected to Grow to more than 9,000 people by 2040

The total population of Brighton is expected to grow to more than 9,000 residents by 2040, according to a study by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) with the total number of households increasing by 13.7 percent.

Overall, Livingston County is expected to see the highest growth rate in Southeast Michigan by 18.4 percent, according to the SEMCOG study, with more than 214,000 people living within the county by 2040.

Brighton City Manager, Dana Foster, says that the growth patterns are reflective of the city's efforts to become a destination community.

Foster said one example of those efforts was improving walkability by constructing the Mill Pond walkway and tridge.

"That project really opened up the Mill Pond for a pedestrian kind of experience and that in itself helped increase what I think of as the destination quality of our downtown," he said. "One of the objectives of that very first Mill Pond plan was to find ways to attract more people downtown, improve recreational opportunities in our downtown and also create opportunities for pedestrians to walk to and from downtown."

Foster said that he thinks the city today has something for everybody, and that is what accounts for the projected population growth.

Brighton Township is also projected to see a growth of more than 21,000 people by 2040. Brighton Township Manager Dan Bishop said he was not surprised by the study and it is something the township has been predicting for years.

Location is another key element for attracting new residents. Both the City of Brighton and Brighton Township feature a centered location on US-23 and I-96.

Bishop called Brighton Township's location an economic asset.

"We are right on the highways, so we have easy access to multiple job markets, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing and Flint," he said. "We also have easy access to many recreational opportunities like professional sports, State and regional park systems, many lakes and trails. We have an abundance of affordable housing opportunities that fit every lifestyle. Our area is simply beautiful with all the
lakes, hills and natural areas."

One major factor in the study is the southeastern Michigan's aging population. According to SEMCOG, one in four will be 65 or older - an increase of 85 percent.

"The future Southeast Michigan will be even grayer than Florida today," SEMCOG stated in a press release.

Bishop said that - like most communities nationwide - the township has not really thought about how it will handle the aging population; however, he expects it to be a major conversation when the township does its master plan update later this year.

"We did a full master plan rewrite 10 years ago, we did a revision in 2008, now it's time to see if things have changed - and one of the things that have changed is our understanding of our demographics," Bishop said. "We now understand that this is going to be a major part of our population and it presents opportunities."

Foster said that he doesn't think the aging population represents a problem for the city.

"One of our main values - and part of our goals - is to promote and encourage diversity," he said. "I think we're doing everything we can to promote a community that appeals to all demographics and all ages."