Wednesday, October 09, 2002
For EDPros concerned with sprawl, the American Farmland Trust has released a useful report. The report concludes that the problem of sprawl is not a problem of growth, but it is a problem of wasteful land use patterns: Too many 10 acre residential lots.
The National Association of Homebuilders supports the conclusion that 10 acre residential lots are an inappropriate use of land. The home builders call for higher densities and smart growth.
We are losing valuable farmland at a rate of 2 acres every minute. And the rate of farmland loss increased in the 1990's over the 1980's, so the problem is getting worse. You can go on the web and see the the counties in your state where the problem is most severe. Go.
The report makes and important point: Wasteful land use is the problem, not growth itself.
From 1982-1997, U.S. population grew by 17 percent, while urbanized land grew by 47 percent. Over the past 20 years, the acreage per person for new housing almost doubled and since 1994, 10+ acre housing lots have accounted for 55 percent of the land developed. Read more. Go
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
For EDPros concerned with sprawl
