On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that abortion is not protected by the federal Constitution. This decision overturned Roe v. Wade, gave individual states the power to regulate reproductive freedom and set back over 50 years of progress in the fight for women’s rights.

In response, women all over the state of Michigan joined together to protect their rights with the creation of the Reproductive Freedom For All petition. The citizen-lead petition received record-breaking support with over 753,000 signatures and became a ballot proposal for the upcoming election. In November, 2022, Michigan voters overwhelmingly voted Yes on the ballot proposal, enshrining the right to an abortion in our state constitution.

Despite codifying the right to an abortion, there are still several patient and provider regulations in Michigan that have implications on where clinics are located and the buildings they occupy, as well as who can perform abortions and how they are funded.

#YESONPROP3, Now What? is an ongoing effort by Do Good Work researching the relationship between access to abortion and the built environment.

Public policy, building codes, health regulations, and zoning ordinances all directly and indirectly impact the built environment of reproductive healthcare, and we are collaborating with policy makers and healthcare providers alike to understand how laws and regulations restrict access to abortion clinics.