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• 1. [Article] A statistical analysis of Oregon's land-use ballot initiative

  This paper explores predictors of support for land-use ballot initiatives in Oregon. Possible predictors include a variety of socioeconomic, spatial, and political variables. Multiple least squares regressions ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A statistical analysis of Oregon's land-use ballot initiative Author: Fuller, Justin This paper explores predictors of support for land-use ballot initiatives in Oregon. Possible predictors include a variety of socioeconomic, spatial, and political variables. Multiple least squares regressions find that aggregate levels of education within a county and the proportion of a county's workforce engaged in farming or forestry occupations appear to play a strong role in county-level land-use ballot initiative results. These effects of education and industry sector employment are consistent across multiple elections. Real per capita income and party identification appear to play a role in specific elections and are not consistent predictors. Analysis from initiatives in 1970, 1976, 1978, 1982, 2000, and 2004 from Oregon are used to draw these conclusions. Title: A statistical analysis of Oregon's land-use ballot initiative Author: Fuller, Justin This paper explores predictors of support for land-use ballot initiatives in Oregon. Possible predictors include a variety of socioeconomic, spatial, and political variables. Multiple least squares regressions find that aggregate levels of education within a county and the proportion of a county's workforce engaged in farming or forestry occupations appear to play a strong role in county-level land-use ballot initiative results. These effects of education and industry sector employment are consistent across multiple elections. Real per capita income and party identification appear to play a role in specific elections and are not consistent predictors. Analysis from initiatives in 1970, 1976, 1978, 1982, 2000, and 2004 from Oregon are used to draw these conclusions. Close

• 2. [Article] The Influence of Measure 37 claims on the shift in vote between Measure 37 and Measure 49

  The passage of Measure 37 in 2004 was met with a great deal of controversy as a number of voters claimed the implications of the Measure did not represent their intentions for supporting the legislation. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Influence of Measure 37 claims on the shift in vote between Measure 37 and Measure 49 Author: Chrostek, Garrett The passage of Measure 37 in 2004 was met with a great deal of controversy as a number of voters claimed the implications of the Measure did not represent their intentions for supporting the legislation. Namely, significant opposition was aimed towards the Measure 37 claim which offered landowners financial compensation or waivers from land use regulations that reduced the value of their property. As a result, voters subsequently passed Measure 49 which drastically curtailed the size and scope of the Measure 37 claim. Both measures experienced strong support and passed with more than 60% of the vote. This paper seeks to identify voting patterns by examining those factors which led to the divergent outcomes between the two elections. A review of the literature reveals two primary theories for explaining the differing outcomes. The first is premised on the concept of NIMBY (not in my backyard) in which voters in areas with high concentrations of Measure 37 claims used their vote to resist unfavorable developments associated with Measure 37 claims. A second theory is rooted in traditional regional and partisan differences, which characterize the “two states” view of Oregon politics. This paper evaluates these theories by developing testable hypothesis to predict the “shift in vote” at the county and precinct levels of analysis. Results from this study will offer a better understanding of voting behavior on this issue and offer suggestions to policymakers looking to improve voter satisfaction with Oregon’s land use system. Title: The Influence of Measure 37 claims on the shift in vote between Measure 37 and Measure 49 Author: Chrostek, Garrett The passage of Measure 37 in 2004 was met with a great deal of controversy as a number of voters claimed the implications of the Measure did not represent their intentions for supporting the legislation. Namely, significant opposition was aimed towards the Measure 37 claim which offered landowners financial compensation or waivers from land use regulations that reduced the value of their property. As a result, voters subsequently passed Measure 49 which drastically curtailed the size and scope of the Measure 37 claim. Both measures experienced strong support and passed with more than 60% of the vote. This paper seeks to identify voting patterns by examining those factors which led to the divergent outcomes between the two elections. A review of the literature reveals two primary theories for explaining the differing outcomes. The first is premised on the concept of NIMBY (not in my backyard) in which voters in areas with high concentrations of Measure 37 claims used their vote to resist unfavorable developments associated with Measure 37 claims. A second theory is rooted in traditional regional and partisan differences, which characterize the “two states” view of Oregon politics. This paper evaluates these theories by developing testable hypothesis to predict the “shift in vote” at the county and precinct levels of analysis. Results from this study will offer a better understanding of voting behavior on this issue and offer suggestions to policymakers looking to improve voter satisfaction with Oregon’s land use system. Close

• 3. [Article] Interview with Bruce Bartow

  Interview with Bruce Bartow by Michael Rupp on October 11, 2016. Bruce Bartow served as Planning Director for Josephine County, Oregon, from 1977 to 2005.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Interview with Bruce Bartow Author: Bartow, Bruce, Rupp, Michael Year: 2017 Interview with Bruce Bartow by Michael Rupp on October 11, 2016. Bruce Bartow served as Planning Director for Josephine County, Oregon, from 1977 to 2005. Title: Interview with Bruce Bartow Author: Bartow, Bruce, Rupp, Michael Year: 2017 Interview with Bruce Bartow by Michael Rupp on October 11, 2016. Bruce Bartow served as Planning Director for Josephine County, Oregon, from 1977 to 2005. Close

• 4. [Article] Interview with Keith Cubic

  Interview with Keith Cubic by Michael Rupp on March 8, 2016. Keith Cubic has served as the Planning Director for Douglas County, Oregon, since 1978.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Interview with Keith Cubic Author: Cubic, Keith, Rupp, Michael Year: 2017 Interview with Keith Cubic by Michael Rupp on March 8, 2016. Keith Cubic has served as the Planning Director for Douglas County, Oregon, since 1978. Title: Interview with Keith Cubic Author: Cubic, Keith, Rupp, Michael Year: 2017 Interview with Keith Cubic by Michael Rupp on March 8, 2016. Keith Cubic has served as the Planning Director for Douglas County, Oregon, since 1978. Close

• 5. [Article] Interview with Andy Cotugno

  Interview with Andy Cotugno by Sy Adler on March 8, 2016. Andy Cotugno served as planning director at Metro from 1980 to 2008 and as the Metro Council's Senior Policy Advisor from 2008 until his retirement ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Interview with Andy Cotugno Author: Cotugno, Andy, Adler, Sy Year: 2017 Interview with Andy Cotugno by Sy Adler on March 8, 2016. Andy Cotugno served as planning director at Metro from 1980 to 2008 and as the Metro Council's Senior Policy Advisor from 2008 until his retirement in March 2016. Title: Interview with Andy Cotugno Author: Cotugno, Andy, Adler, Sy Year: 2017 Interview with Andy Cotugno by Sy Adler on March 8, 2016. Andy Cotugno served as planning director at Metro from 1980 to 2008 and as the Metro Council's Senior Policy Advisor from 2008 until his retirement in March 2016. Close

• 6. [Article] The effects of land use on mineral flat wetland hydrologic processes in lowland agricultural catchments

  Hydrologic processes within mineral flat wetlands, along with their connections to groundwater and downstream surface water in lowland agricultural catchments are poorly understood, particularly under ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The effects of land use on mineral flat wetland hydrologic processes in lowland agricultural catchments Author: Marshall, Sarah M. (Sarah Marie) Hydrologic processes within mineral flat wetlands, along with their connections to groundwater and downstream surface water in lowland agricultural catchments are poorly understood, particularly under different land uses. In the three field studies included in this thesis, we examined infiltration, wetland hydroperiod, groundwater recharge dynamics, surface runoff generation, and water quality in mineral flat wetlands using a combination of soil and hydrometric measurements, stable isotope tracers, and water chemistry analysis. Our overarching objectives were to examine, for mineral flat wetlands under native prairie, farmed grassland, and restored prairie land cover: 1) how different land management influences infiltration and wetland hydroperiod at the plot scale, 2) the effects of land use on seasonal groundwater-surface water dynamics at the field scale, and 3) seasonal variation in runoff sources and nutrient transport from native prairie and farmed wetlands at the small catchment scale. At the plot scale, our results suggest that edaphic factors, particularly those related to soil structure, are strongly associated with wetland infiltration and overall hydroperiod across least-altered prairie, farmed, and restored prairie mineral flat wetlands. The hydroperiod metrics we examined were generally more sensitive to level of site disturbance than land use alone. At the field scale, our results indicate that, in spite of land use differences and slight variations in soil stratigraphy, many similarities exist in overall wetland hydroperiod, water sources and evaporation rates for mineral flat wetlands in the Willamette Valley lowlands. Isotopic evidence suggests that the greatest degree of groundwater-surface water mixing occurs in the upper 0.5 m of the saturated soil profile across sites under all land uses. Finally, at the small catchment scale, farmed wetland runoff was isotopically similar to field surface water for most of the wet season, indicating that saturation excess was an important runoff generation process. Prairie wetland runoff was isotopically similar to upstream water throughout the winter, and briefly similar to shallow groundwater and surface water within the wetland in mid-spring. Throughout the wet season, elevated nitrate, sulfate, and chloride concentrations were observed in groundwater and surface water at the farm site, and deeper groundwater at the prairie site. Upstream-downstream runoff chemistry remained similar throughout the wet season at the prairie site. Farm site runoff chemistry reflected the dominant water source within the farm field throughout the wet season. Our findings suggest that, while surface water pathways dominate runoff from wetland flats under farm land use, large wetland flat fields have a high potential to absorb, store, and process nutrients and agrochemicals from on-site and nearby off-site chemical inputs. Mineral flats that maintain wetland hydrology in spite of farm use represent a unique balance between agricultural production and preservation of some of the water storage and delay, and water quality-related ecosystem services once provided at a much larger scale in the Willamette Valley lowlands. We anticipate that results of this work will lead to better understanding of key site-scale edaphic and hydrologic factors to consider when prioritizing and managing sites for restoration, and how site disturbance under a variety of land uses may impact different hydrologic processes and components of the wetland hydroperiod. Additionally, our results provide a better understanding of how land use affects seasonal runoff generation processes in mineral flat wetlands, and the water quality implications of modifying groundwater and surface water connectivity between mineral flats and surrounding surface drainage networks. Title: The effects of land use on mineral flat wetland hydrologic processes in lowland agricultural catchments Author: Marshall, Sarah M. (Sarah Marie) Hydrologic processes within mineral flat wetlands, along with their connections to groundwater and downstream surface water in lowland agricultural catchments are poorly understood, particularly under different land uses. In the three field studies included in this thesis, we examined infiltration, wetland hydroperiod, groundwater recharge dynamics, surface runoff generation, and water quality in mineral flat wetlands using a combination of soil and hydrometric measurements, stable isotope tracers, and water chemistry analysis. Our overarching objectives were to examine, for mineral flat wetlands under native prairie, farmed grassland, and restored prairie land cover: 1) how different land management influences infiltration and wetland hydroperiod at the plot scale, 2) the effects of land use on seasonal groundwater-surface water dynamics at the field scale, and 3) seasonal variation in runoff sources and nutrient transport from native prairie and farmed wetlands at the small catchment scale. At the plot scale, our results suggest that edaphic factors, particularly those related to soil structure, are strongly associated with wetland infiltration and overall hydroperiod across least-altered prairie, farmed, and restored prairie mineral flat wetlands. The hydroperiod metrics we examined were generally more sensitive to level of site disturbance than land use alone. At the field scale, our results indicate that, in spite of land use differences and slight variations in soil stratigraphy, many similarities exist in overall wetland hydroperiod, water sources and evaporation rates for mineral flat wetlands in the Willamette Valley lowlands. Isotopic evidence suggests that the greatest degree of groundwater-surface water mixing occurs in the upper 0.5 m of the saturated soil profile across sites under all land uses. Finally, at the small catchment scale, farmed wetland runoff was isotopically similar to field surface water for most of the wet season, indicating that saturation excess was an important runoff generation process. Prairie wetland runoff was isotopically similar to upstream water throughout the winter, and briefly similar to shallow groundwater and surface water within the wetland in mid-spring. Throughout the wet season, elevated nitrate, sulfate, and chloride concentrations were observed in groundwater and surface water at the farm site, and deeper groundwater at the prairie site. Upstream-downstream runoff chemistry remained similar throughout the wet season at the prairie site. Farm site runoff chemistry reflected the dominant water source within the farm field throughout the wet season. Our findings suggest that, while surface water pathways dominate runoff from wetland flats under farm land use, large wetland flat fields have a high potential to absorb, store, and process nutrients and agrochemicals from on-site and nearby off-site chemical inputs. Mineral flats that maintain wetland hydrology in spite of farm use represent a unique balance between agricultural production and preservation of some of the water storage and delay, and water quality-related ecosystem services once provided at a much larger scale in the Willamette Valley lowlands. We anticipate that results of this work will lead to better understanding of key site-scale edaphic and hydrologic factors to consider when prioritizing and managing sites for restoration, and how site disturbance under a variety of land uses may impact different hydrologic processes and components of the wetland hydroperiod. Additionally, our results provide a better understanding of how land use affects seasonal runoff generation processes in mineral flat wetlands, and the water quality implications of modifying groundwater and surface water connectivity between mineral flats and surrounding surface drainage networks. Close

• 7. [Article] Essays on the interactions between land use, natural amenity and wildfire risk

  It is essential to study the relationship between environmental features and human land-use activities that can provide a better understanding of human-environment interactions. In a response, this dissertation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Essays on the interactions between land use, natural amenity and wildfire risk Author: Xu, Wenchao It is essential to study the relationship between environmental features and human land-use activities that can provide a better understanding of human-environment interactions. In a response, this dissertation addresses the human-environment issues from different perspectives in three essays. The first essay conducts an integrated analysis to investigate the impacts of human activities and environmental features on wildfire occurrence at the Wildland-Urban Interface in a changing climate. We focus on the impacts of land use changes as measured by their density, connectivity, and mix. The conceptual model builds on a theoretical framework developed by Woodward (1987) and Neilson (1995) that characterizes the functioning mechanism of ecosystems. The empirical models identify the key factors that influence wildfires. Hypotheses are tested to demonstrate the spatial heterogeneity of human land-use impacts on wildfires. Results can inform the design of policies that aim to identify community vulnerabilities, reduce wildfire uncertainties, strengthen firewise community development, and inform future land-use decision making in response to wildfire threats. The second essay analyzes the impacts of wildfire risk on urban development. It builds on and expands the monocentric-city framework developed by Wu (2006) and Wu (2010) by introducing wildfire risk into this model. We calibrate the model and examine the urban spatial profiles changes under different assumptions of wildfire risks and natural amenities. We find that wildfire risk can take on various aspects of urban spatial profiles at a much broad scale that go beyond the fire-prone areas and affects both households and public decision sectors. Even without inconsistency in fire-zone designation policy, over-development can occur in fire-hazardous area. The third essay models the role of amenity in interregional migration and spatial distribution of economic activities. Extending the new economic geography model of Helpman (1998) by including locational amenities, we present a multi-market equilibrium framework that includes consumption, production, and trade. Results suggest that the effects of amenities are significantly affected by household preferences, trade barriers, and other regional economic characteristics. This study contributes to the amenity-driven migration literatures and informs the debate about the effect of amenities on interregional migrations and regional economic development. Title: Essays on the interactions between land use, natural amenity and wildfire risk Author: Xu, Wenchao It is essential to study the relationship between environmental features and human land-use activities that can provide a better understanding of human-environment interactions. In a response, this dissertation addresses the human-environment issues from different perspectives in three essays. The first essay conducts an integrated analysis to investigate the impacts of human activities and environmental features on wildfire occurrence at the Wildland-Urban Interface in a changing climate. We focus on the impacts of land use changes as measured by their density, connectivity, and mix. The conceptual model builds on a theoretical framework developed by Woodward (1987) and Neilson (1995) that characterizes the functioning mechanism of ecosystems. The empirical models identify the key factors that influence wildfires. Hypotheses are tested to demonstrate the spatial heterogeneity of human land-use impacts on wildfires. Results can inform the design of policies that aim to identify community vulnerabilities, reduce wildfire uncertainties, strengthen firewise community development, and inform future land-use decision making in response to wildfire threats. The second essay analyzes the impacts of wildfire risk on urban development. It builds on and expands the monocentric-city framework developed by Wu (2006) and Wu (2010) by introducing wildfire risk into this model. We calibrate the model and examine the urban spatial profiles changes under different assumptions of wildfire risks and natural amenities. We find that wildfire risk can take on various aspects of urban spatial profiles at a much broad scale that go beyond the fire-prone areas and affects both households and public decision sectors. Even without inconsistency in fire-zone designation policy, over-development can occur in fire-hazardous area. The third essay models the role of amenity in interregional migration and spatial distribution of economic activities. Extending the new economic geography model of Helpman (1998) by including locational amenities, we present a multi-market equilibrium framework that includes consumption, production, and trade. Results suggest that the effects of amenities are significantly affected by household preferences, trade barriers, and other regional economic characteristics. This study contributes to the amenity-driven migration literatures and informs the debate about the effect of amenities on interregional migrations and regional economic development. Close

• 8. [Article] Three essays on the economics of climate change, land use and carbon sequestration

  This dissertation's three essays explore the effects of climate change on land use changes in the U.S., how future land areas in all major land uses change by projecting land use at the regional scale ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Three essays on the economics of climate change, land use and carbon sequestration Author: Haim, David This dissertation's three essays explore the effects of climate change on land use changes in the U.S., how future land areas in all major land uses change by projecting land use at the regional scale under two IPCC climate change scenarios. Investigate how and what role should carbon sequestration plays as a mitigation strategy given uncertainty of climate impacts and, estimate how responsive the demand for and the supply of urban land is to changes in its price and how different climatic variables effect both the supply and the demand for urban land. The first essay uses an econometric model to project regional and national landuse changes in the U.S. under two IPCC climate change scenarios. The key driver of land-use change in the model is county-level measures of net returns to five major land uses. The net returns are modified for the IPCC scenarios according to assumed trends in population and income and projections from integrated assessment models of agricultural prices and agricultural and forestry yields. For both scenarios, we project large increases in urban land by the middle of the century, while the largest declines are in cropland area. Significant differences among regions in the projected patterns of land-use change are evident, including an expansion of forests in the Mountain and Plains regions with declines elsewhere. Comparisons to projections with no climate change effects on prices and yields reveal relatively small differences. Thus, our findings suggest that future land use patterns in the U.S. will be shaped largely by urbanization, with climate change having a relatively small influence. The second essay explores the optimal time path of carbon sequestration and carbon abatement in stabilizing CO₂ levels under uncertainty of climate impacts. We question the conventional wisdom that carbon sequestration should be used as a near term strategy by recognizing the fact that sequestration, unlike abatement, can actually remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Two related models are examined: a deterministic fixed end point and finite time horizon model and a two-period sequential decision making model. In the latter, uncertainty regard the stabilization level of the atmospheric stock is resolved prior to the decision on how much to control the stock in the second period. Present value costs of abatement and sequestration are minimized subject to two state variables; the level of CO₂ stock in the atmosphere and the stock of suitable land that can be converted to forestland. Both models show that carbon sequestration may play an important role in climate change mitigation under certain conditions. In addition, the stochastic model finds that an increase in the variability of climate impacts results in higher rates of abatement today while leaving some sequestration capacity as a safety value for the future. In the third essay, a structural model of the demand for and the supply of urban land is estimated using panel data on 3032 counties in the contiguous U.S for the four time periods 1982, 1987, 1992 and, 1997. A two-step estimation procedure is applied. In the first step, fixed effects and time-varying variables are used to estimate the structural system of demand and supply equations via Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) procedure. This yields consistent estimates of the structural equations' parameters. The model is then extended to a hierarchical linear model. The contribution of observed time-invariant variables in explaining counties fixed effects is investigated. Among these variables are climatic and geographical variables that are assumed to affect both the supply and the demand for urban land, though in potentially different ways. Results suggest inelastic supply and demand at the national and regional levels with the exception of an elastic demand in the West region. Examined climatic and geographical variables are found to have significant effects on both the supply of and the demand for urban land. Title: Three essays on the economics of climate change, land use and carbon sequestration Author: Haim, David This dissertation's three essays explore the effects of climate change on land use changes in the U.S., how future land areas in all major land uses change by projecting land use at the regional scale under two IPCC climate change scenarios. Investigate how and what role should carbon sequestration plays as a mitigation strategy given uncertainty of climate impacts and, estimate how responsive the demand for and the supply of urban land is to changes in its price and how different climatic variables effect both the supply and the demand for urban land. The first essay uses an econometric model to project regional and national landuse changes in the U.S. under two IPCC climate change scenarios. The key driver of land-use change in the model is county-level measures of net returns to five major land uses. The net returns are modified for the IPCC scenarios according to assumed trends in population and income and projections from integrated assessment models of agricultural prices and agricultural and forestry yields. For both scenarios, we project large increases in urban land by the middle of the century, while the largest declines are in cropland area. Significant differences among regions in the projected patterns of land-use change are evident, including an expansion of forests in the Mountain and Plains regions with declines elsewhere. Comparisons to projections with no climate change effects on prices and yields reveal relatively small differences. Thus, our findings suggest that future land use patterns in the U.S. will be shaped largely by urbanization, with climate change having a relatively small influence. The second essay explores the optimal time path of carbon sequestration and carbon abatement in stabilizing CO₂ levels under uncertainty of climate impacts. We question the conventional wisdom that carbon sequestration should be used as a near term strategy by recognizing the fact that sequestration, unlike abatement, can actually remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Two related models are examined: a deterministic fixed end point and finite time horizon model and a two-period sequential decision making model. In the latter, uncertainty regard the stabilization level of the atmospheric stock is resolved prior to the decision on how much to control the stock in the second period. Present value costs of abatement and sequestration are minimized subject to two state variables; the level of CO₂ stock in the atmosphere and the stock of suitable land that can be converted to forestland. Both models show that carbon sequestration may play an important role in climate change mitigation under certain conditions. In addition, the stochastic model finds that an increase in the variability of climate impacts results in higher rates of abatement today while leaving some sequestration capacity as a safety value for the future. In the third essay, a structural model of the demand for and the supply of urban land is estimated using panel data on 3032 counties in the contiguous U.S for the four time periods 1982, 1987, 1992 and, 1997. A two-step estimation procedure is applied. In the first step, fixed effects and time-varying variables are used to estimate the structural system of demand and supply equations via Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) procedure. This yields consistent estimates of the structural equations' parameters. The model is then extended to a hierarchical linear model. The contribution of observed time-invariant variables in explaining counties fixed effects is investigated. Among these variables are climatic and geographical variables that are assumed to affect both the supply and the demand for urban land, though in potentially different ways. Results suggest inelastic supply and demand at the national and regional levels with the exception of an elastic demand in the West region. Examined climatic and geographical variables are found to have significant effects on both the supply of and the demand for urban land. Close

• 9. [Article] Determining relative benefits to communities from urban and agricultural land use change in Napa County, California

  Urban sprawl and the establishment of greenbelts to separate growing cities and towns has become a popular topic of conversation among land use professionals. Economists focus on urban growth in terms ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Determining relative benefits to communities from urban and agricultural land use change in Napa County, California Author: Bernard, Mark A. Urban sprawl and the establishment of greenbelts to separate growing cities and towns has become a popular topic of conversation among land use professionals. Economists focus on urban growth in terms of land rents and have sought market solutions such as transfers and purchases of development rights to slow this growth. Land use planners have offered alternative solutions in the form of conservation easements, land trusts and agricultural zoning restrictions. Few, if any, studies have taken a balance sheet approach to the preservation of greenbelts through strict market mechanisms. The value of fine wine has made the premium wine grape producing area of Napa County, California a good candidate for investigating how changes in agricultural and low density urban growth affect community income and expenses. The premium wine grape growing area of Napa County may offer a rare example of agricultural land rivaling urban land in value This study will demonstrate the fiscal viability of preserving wine grape production and related activities in Napa County through an analysis of urban and agricultural growth and revenue streams to communities resulting from changes in each land use. Scarce housing, rising land prices and economic growth, dynamics attributable to an influx of wealth driven by aesthetic beauty and cultural attributes, are manifestations of the popularity of Napa County and symbolize the challenges facing agricultural preservationists. Title: Determining relative benefits to communities from urban and agricultural land use change in Napa County, California Author: Bernard, Mark A. Urban sprawl and the establishment of greenbelts to separate growing cities and towns has become a popular topic of conversation among land use professionals. Economists focus on urban growth in terms of land rents and have sought market solutions such as transfers and purchases of development rights to slow this growth. Land use planners have offered alternative solutions in the form of conservation easements, land trusts and agricultural zoning restrictions. Few, if any, studies have taken a balance sheet approach to the preservation of greenbelts through strict market mechanisms. The value of fine wine has made the premium wine grape producing area of Napa County, California a good candidate for investigating how changes in agricultural and low density urban growth affect community income and expenses. The premium wine grape growing area of Napa County may offer a rare example of agricultural land rivaling urban land in value This study will demonstrate the fiscal viability of preserving wine grape production and related activities in Napa County through an analysis of urban and agricultural growth and revenue streams to communities resulting from changes in each land use. Scarce housing, rising land prices and economic growth, dynamics attributable to an influx of wealth driven by aesthetic beauty and cultural attributes, are manifestations of the popularity of Napa County and symbolize the challenges facing agricultural preservationists. Close

• 10. [Article] Local Growth and Land Use Intensification: A Sociological Study of Urbanization and Environmental Change

  This dissertation takes a sociological look at the relationship between urbanization and environmental change. While sociological studies on urbanization have long addressed the social dimensions of the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Local Growth and Land Use Intensification: A Sociological Study of Urbanization and Environmental Change Author: Clement, Matthew Year: 2015 This dissertation takes a sociological look at the relationship between urbanization and environmental change. While sociological studies on urbanization have long addressed the social dimensions of the built environment, the natural environment has not been treated as a primary concept in urban sociology. Based on an analysis of local land use change across the United States at the beginning of the 21st century, this dissertation brings the built and natural environments together, recognizing both as important dimensions of urbanization. The expansion of the built environment, through deforestation and the covering up of fertile agricultural land, represents a modern form of land use change with direct and indirect impacts on the natural environment, the most severe effects of which are seen in biodiversity loss, disruption of the nitrogen cycle, and climate change. Drawing on literatures and theories in environmental, rural, and urban sociology as well as demography and human ecology, the bulk of the dissertation involves empirical analyses of overall changes in forest cover as well as the loss of forest cover and agricultural land to the built environment (i.e., the impervious structures and surfaces that cover the land), a process I refer to as land use intensification. My dissertation project uses quantitative methods to examine the demographic, economic, and social forces behind this process in contemporary America. Hypotheses are derived from the various literatures mentioned above; to test these hypotheses, I integrate county-level data from US governmental sources with satellite imagery on land cover change from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). For the years 2001-2006, I use the NLCD data to quantify three dependent variables at the county-level: overall change in the area of forest cover as well as the area of forest cover and agricultural land lost to the built environment. Results from regression analyses demonstrate that urbanization is a multidimensional process that differentially transforms the American landscape. With a focus on land use intensification, this study advances a sociological framework to address connections between urbanization and changes in both the built and natural environments. Title: Local Growth and Land Use Intensification: A Sociological Study of Urbanization and Environmental Change Author: Clement, Matthew Year: 2015 This dissertation takes a sociological look at the relationship between urbanization and environmental change. While sociological studies on urbanization have long addressed the social dimensions of the built environment, the natural environment has not been treated as a primary concept in urban sociology. Based on an analysis of local land use change across the United States at the beginning of the 21st century, this dissertation brings the built and natural environments together, recognizing both as important dimensions of urbanization. The expansion of the built environment, through deforestation and the covering up of fertile agricultural land, represents a modern form of land use change with direct and indirect impacts on the natural environment, the most severe effects of which are seen in biodiversity loss, disruption of the nitrogen cycle, and climate change. Drawing on literatures and theories in environmental, rural, and urban sociology as well as demography and human ecology, the bulk of the dissertation involves empirical analyses of overall changes in forest cover as well as the loss of forest cover and agricultural land to the built environment (i.e., the impervious structures and surfaces that cover the land), a process I refer to as land use intensification. My dissertation project uses quantitative methods to examine the demographic, economic, and social forces behind this process in contemporary America. Hypotheses are derived from the various literatures mentioned above; to test these hypotheses, I integrate county-level data from US governmental sources with satellite imagery on land cover change from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). For the years 2001-2006, I use the NLCD data to quantify three dependent variables at the county-level: overall change in the area of forest cover as well as the area of forest cover and agricultural land lost to the built environment. Results from regression analyses demonstrate that urbanization is a multidimensional process that differentially transforms the American landscape. With a focus on land use intensification, this study advances a sociological framework to address connections between urbanization and changes in both the built and natural environments. Close