Ann Arbor has changed a lot over the past 28 years. Now, thanks to a collaboration between Google, NASA, TIME, a lab at Carnegie Mellon University, and the United States Geological Survey you can see an aerial view of the progression.
Google’s new Earth Engine gives you the ability to see a moving time-lapse image of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan, the entire United States or anywhere else in the world as it developed from 1984 to the present.
The pictures are grainy, and it is difficult to make out specific development projects, but the Washtenaw County clearly saw significant changes over the past few decades. You can specifically notice Ann Arbor expanding, especially to the southwest, as well as Dexter and Saline both growing significantly in the past 5-10 years.
On the website, certain areas that went through major changes over the past 25-plus years such as Las Vegas, the Amazon Rainforest and the Columbia Glacier in Alaska are highlighted for easy viewing.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2