RURAL LAND-USE TRENDS IN THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES, 1950–2000

In order to understand the magnitude, direction, and geographic distribution of land-use changes, we evaluated land-use trends in U.S. counties during the latter half of the 20th century. Our paper synthesizes the dominant spatial and temporal trends in population, agriculture, and urbanized land uses, using a variety of data sources and an ecoregion classification as a frame of reference. A combination of increasing attractiveness of nonmetropolitan areas in the period 1970–2000, decreasing household size, and decreasing density of settlement has resulted in important trends in the patterns of developed land. By 2000, the area of low-density, exurban development beyond the urban fringe occupied nearly 15…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• UE
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture
• WA
  William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
• UO
  University of Chicago
• LU
  Loyola University Chicago
• NC
  Nature Conservancy
• UG
  U.S. Geological Survey
• UF
  U.S. Forest Service
• NC
  North Central Research Station