Public Goods, Unequal Burdens, and a Tragedy of the Commons in Birmingham, Michigan

Idea in Brief

Public Goods are those where use by one does not inhibit use by others. In Birmingham, Michigan, the public right-of-way (PROW) is a good which currently enables conveyance of potable water, sanitary sewage, stormwater drainage, and transportation, with plans to encourage tree canopies, stormwater retention, and community geothermal systems.

But Public Goods must be funded, and this becomes a policy challenge as to how to shoulder the burden. Economic research in Public Goods show that communities thrive when there is a social commitment, but this commitment fails if the burden is not seen as equitable, if “free riders” receive value from the good without contributing to it.

Water and sewage use is constrained through cost signals, but road use is not and leads to a “Tragedy of the Commons” archetype in which the Public Good is depleted to the point of resource collapse. These issues often lead to “Limits to Growth” and “Shift the Burden” archetypes as local property owners face significant individual expense in rebuilding roads which benefit free riders.

Goods Burdens and Tragic Commons in Bham (2025 Draft).pdf

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