Tools, Mapping, and Analysis for the Urban Sprawl Landscape

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Tools, Mapping, and Analysis for the Urban Sprawl
Landscape

• Julie Svetlik, PhD Student
• Natural Resource Economics
• Division of Resource Management
• West Virginia University

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Overview

• Introduction to sprawl
• Sprawl in West Virginia
• Land use models
• Research and applications

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Sprawl

• Random, unplanned growth characterized by
• Low-density housing on 1-acre lots or greater
• Strip commercial centers with big box retailers
  
• High use of the automobile
• Dominant growth pattern since the 1950s

(Sources Burchell and Shad, 1998 American
Planning Assn.)
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Urban vs. Rural Sprawl
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Commercial vs. Residential Sprawl
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Impacts of Sprawl

• Environment
• Water quality/quantity
• Streambed erosion and sedimentation
• Loss of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat
• Air quality
• Loss of greenspace/scenery
• Infrastructure
• Must expand to accommodate spreading growth
  (Burchell et al. 1998)

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Impacts of Sprawl

• Costs of infrastructure
• Expanded roads
• New schools
• Expanded water/sewer systems
• Emergency services
• Inefficient due to low density nature of sprawl

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Impacts of Sprawl

• Other impacts
• Loss of farmland
• McMansions
• Loss of unique community character
• Social costs

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Sprawl in West Virginia

• 2000-2003 West Virginia population grew by 0.1
  annually
• Eastern Panhandle 3.2
• Morgantown MSA 0.8
• Population expected to stabilize at 1.8M
  residents
• Disproportional increases in urbanized areas and
  the Eastern Panhandle

(Source WVU Bureau of Business and Economic
Research)
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Sprawl in West Virginia

• Is sprawl a problem in WV?
• West Virginia 1 in the nation for sprawl
  (American Planning Association, 2000)
• 2000 survey 69 sampled rated that preserving
  natural areas is a very important issue facing WV
  (West Virginia Land Trust)

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Sprawl in West Virginia - Issues

• Environmental amenities will continue to attract
  residents
• Conservation groups
• Lack of urban/regional planning
• Environment vs. economics
• Lack of information

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Land Use Models

• What do they do?
• Identify land likely to be converted from rural
  uses to urban ones
• How can we use them?
• Transportation
• Economics
• Environmental impacts WATER!

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Land Use Models Data Needs

• Geographic Information Systems (GISs)
• Natural landscape characteristics
• Man-made landscape characteristics
• Other information (socioeconomic, transportation
  demand, etc.)

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Land Use Models - Limitations

• No one model can account for all of the factors
  affecting land development
• Some require expertise in computer programming
• Can be expensive
• Availability of data for model input

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Research Approaches Alternative Futures Analysis

• Identifies alternative visions for the future of
  a region
• Incorporates policy, environment, and population
  growth
• Futures are determined by community goals and
  population trends
• Common examples Conservation, Trend, Development

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Buck Creek Watershed, Iowa Evaluated watershed
characteristics based on current and future
agricultural practices
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Alternative Futures Analysis

• Futures are evaluated in terms of their effects
  on
• Environment
• Biodiversity
• Water use and quality
• Stream quality
• Land use

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Blackberry Creek, Illinois Examined effects of
urbanization on stream flow and runoff
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Willamette Valley, Oregon Looked at urban growth
controls and their effects on human use and
natural resource indicators in the area
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(No Transcript)
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Application in West Virginia Tucker County

• Background
• Predominantly rural
• 47 protected land
• Canaan Valley booming
• Corridor H looming
• Commute to Washington, D.C.
• Now 3.5 hrs
• After Corridor H lt2 hrs

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Application in West Virginia Tucker County

• Research Plan
• Integrate land prices with land use models to
  project growth patterns following Corridor H
  construction
• Use alternative futures analysis to evaluate
  different policy choices
• Scientific approach to community/regional planning

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Other Applications in West Virginia

• Hampshire County subdivision study
• Used spatial and survey data to explain
  landowners decisions to subdivide their property
• Cacapon Watershed study
• Used Multicriteria Decision Making and Decision
  Support Systems to rank preferences for land
  preservation

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Summary

• Although West Virginia is not considered a
  fast-growing state, the rate of land development
  is a concern
• Sprawl can have significant impacts on the
  natural resources in an area
• Tools and research are available to analyze the
  effects of land use changes in West Virginia

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Questions or Comments?