Land use in the urban century

Today is my birthday, and it has me thinking about what rich times these are for those of us that study land use and cities.  Last year we had the announcement of the birth of the seven billionth person on the planet, and 2008 was the first time in human history that the world population was more urban than rural.   Those interested in how population growth, especially in cities, is manifesting in terms of land use patterns will enjoy checking out the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy’s Atlas of Urban Expansion.  The website provides an enormous range of data on the historical land use of cities, as well as vivid images of how the land areas of numerous cities around the world have changed over time.  To the right is an image from the website showing the land mass change in my hometown, Cincinnati, from 1990 to 2000.  So much can change in a decade!  Well worth a look, and may well provide grist for the article mill!

Stephen Miller

Citation as requested by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy:  Angel, S., J. Parent, D. L. Civco and A. M. Blei, 2010. Atlas of Urban Expansion, Cambridge MA: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, online at http://www.lincolninst.edu/subcenters/atlas-urban-expansion/.