WHAT IS SPRAWL DOING TO OUR LIVING LAND?
SEEING SPRAWL
0 200 Miles
Change in Number of Farms: 2002 to 2007
Change in Number of Farms: 1997 to 2002
Increase in Developed Land From 1992 To 1997 (Thousands of acres withi selected areas)
Image 1
2007 Census of Agriculture
2002 Census of Agriculture
Since the end of World War II, the American Dream has been defined as a house in the suburbs and two cars in the driveway. Sparked by a series of federal and state government policies, including home buying subsidies provided by the GI Bill, massive road building projects and community planning designed around the car, Americans abandoned the cities for greener pastures in suburbia. It is clear that public spending can, and does, affect private decisions about where to live, where to work, and where to build.
VANISHING LANDSCAPES Agricultural Lands
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE KNOXVILLE LAR 545 | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN III FALL SEMESTER 2012 | PROFESSOR BRAD COLLETT IMPACTS OF A DECENTRALIZED, SPRAWLING DEVELOPMENT PATTERN XUE YUE
11 Dot =2020Farms FarmsIncrease Increase Dot = Dot = = 20 11Dot 20Farms FarmsDecrease Decrease
United UnitedStates StatesNet Net Decrease Decrease -86,894 -86,894
02-M002 U.S.Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
• A staggering 70% of prime farmland is in the path of rapid development. • This number was added to the more than 41 million acres of farmland, forests and other rural land that has been developed since the NRI was first conducted in 1982. use, causing farmland to decrease by more than 4 million acres between 2002 and 2007.
1 Dot = 20 Farms Increase 1 Dot = 20 Farms Decrease
1 Dot = 20 Farms Increase
1 Dot = 20 Farms Decrease
0 0
100
Miles
100
Miles 07-M002 U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service
United States Net Increase +75,810
United States Net Increase +75,810
Figure 2
The federal Natural Resources Inventory tracks how much farm, forest and open space acreage gets developed from 1992 to 1997 Net Change By Class in Square Kilometers From 2001 To 2006 -40,000
-30,000
-20,000
-10,000
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
Open Water Perenniel Ice/Snow
Developed-Low Intensity Developed-Medium Intensity Developed-High Intensity Baren Land Deciduous Forest Evergreen Forest Mixed Forest Shrub/Scrub Grassland/Herbacious
M5113.MAP (Color Comp)
Developed-Open Space
M5982.MAP (Color Comp)
Now we are running out of greener pastures and many Americans consider urban sprawl to be the fastest growing threat to their local environment and quality of life. They are starting to question the wisdom of growing faster than infrastructures can support or service. They are starting to recognize that decades of road building have yet to and may never alleviate traffic congestion. Some communities that once welcomed development with open arms now consider the cost of lost farm land not worth the benefits of a new strip mall.
Figure 1
Rural Landscapes
The trend has been to rapidly develop farms and forests into housing developments or strip malls. And the rate of development is accelerating. In its path, sprawl consumes thousands of acres of forests and farmland, woodlands and wetlands. It requires government to spend millions extra to build new schools, streets and water and sewer lines.
Each red dot represents 15,000 acres of Other Rural Land
Each red dot represents 15,000 acres of Other Rural Land
Total Other Rural Land: 49,648,300 acres
Total Other Rural Land: 51,141,500 acres
Pasture/Hay
Figure 3
Cultivate Crops Woody Wetlands
Decrease
Image 2
• There were 356,000 acres of rural land converted to developed land from 1982 to 1992, but 1,137,200 from 1992 to 1997. • Rural land or minor land includes: Farm and Ranch Headquarters, Other Farmland, Salt Flats, Bare Rock, Mines & Quarries, Beaches, Sand dunes, Mixed barren, Mud Flats, River Wash, Oil Wasteland, Other Barren, Snow & Ice Fields, Marshland and all Other Land.
Increase
Herbaceous Wetlands
From 2001
To 2006
Chart 1
Sprawl is claiming farmland at the rate of 1.2 million acres (10.5 million hectares) a year. Throw in forest and other undeveloped land and, for net annual loss of open space, you’re waving goodbye to more than two million acres (10.8 million hectares).
M5105.MAP (Color Comp)
Chart 1 http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd2006.php Figure 1 http://myweb.rollins.edu/jsiry/Sprawl-US_map.html Figure 2 http://www.nass.usda.gov Figure3,4 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov Image 1 http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environ ment/habitats/urban-sprawl/ Image 2 http://www.enotes.com/topic/Tennessee_marble Image 3 http://blog.steeplechaseknoxville.com/around-town/ hike-seven-islands-wildlife-refuge-this-spring/ Image 4 http://teendriving.statefarm.com/road-to-safety/safe- driving/when-bumpers-meet-antlers Image 5 http://www.salon.com/topic/global_warming/ Image 6 http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/347445- -aircare-can-t-combat-urban-sprawl-and-population- growth Image 7 http://www.parentsplace.ca/the-quickest-easiest-way-to- help-detoxify-your-body/
M5103.MAP (Color Comp)
Citation
Natural Resource Area
Net Change
Image 3 Each red dot represents 2,000 acres of newly developed land
Each red dot represents 2,000 acres of newly developed land
5,617,600 total acres
4,771,100 total acres
Figure 4
• 75% of the Earth’s original forests have been cleared or severely disrupted • In USA, only 15% of original primary forest and just 1% of tallgrass prairie remains
Total far mland decreased by more than 15 percent bet ween 1992 and 2007, a faster rate than the rest of Tennessee. From 1993-2002, 8,120 acres of Knox County farmland were converted to residential areas in addition to the 2,240 acres rezoned to commercial areas.
Loudon County lost 46,000 acres, accounting for 75 percent of regional losses. Loudon was the only county in the region to boast an average net profit for farmers in 2007. Average size dropp ed from 109 acres in 1992 to 84 acres per far m in 2007.
CONSEQUENCE
Knoxville MSA Population 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000
Knoxville MSA
1,000,000
Union County Loudon County
800,000
Knox County
600,000
Blount County
400,000
Anderson County
200,000
Image 4
0
Image 5
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Union 47,951 45,917
Tennessee State Farming Land Use Poultry
2002
Anderson
2007
47,849 40,135
Hogs and Pigs
Image 6
Cattle and Calves 2007
Tabacco
2002
Soybeans
Knox
Cotton
93,563 82,938
0
400000
800000
Population is the No.1 reason causes sprawl. America has lost farmland to development for the last 75 years, more or less in step with population growth. The U.S. Census Bureau projects a gain of another 110 million to about 419 million or so by 2050, which is about one-third more than our current population. If we, as a Nation, decide we don’t want sprawl and all its problems, should we not start encouraging ourselves to have no more than two children?
1200000 acres
Blount County Top FarmingLand Use Poultry
82,656 77,040
benefit comparison
Hogs and Pigs Cattle and Calves
Loundon
Blount 105,148 98,403
LAND LOSS population growth
Wheat for Grain
Sevier
Image 7
2007 2002
Tabacco Soybeans Wheat for Grain 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000 acres
Source From USDA
American land is converted to development because Americans want to live in lowdensity suburbs. Landonwers, for example farmers, are willing to sell their land and the market values this acreage higher as housing than farming. 400 acres of pasture and cropland might bring $4,000 an acre if sold to a farmer for farming, but it would fetch at least two or three times that if sold to developer for housing. Developers can make more money selling an acre of housing once than farmers can selling an acre of corn over their lifetimes.
persuasive estimation It’s obvious that America needs enough farmland and natural resouces to feed itself, today and tomorrow. It’s not obvious how that number of can or should be determined. Nor is it clear what we should do if we reach a point where it looks like we won’t have enough acreage for our needs and the market fails to value either farmland or rural land high enough for continued using.
Land in Farm within PlanET Regions (in acres)