History of Land Use

Since our nation was founded, there have been major changes in land use patterns, mainly marked by a shift from a nation of wilderness and farmland, to a country dominated by cities, towns, and industry. The newest pattern of development has emerged outside our cities over the past 20 years--sprawl. Sprawl, or auto-oriented, spread out development, increasingly dominates suburban communities and has become characteristic of land use patterns throughout our country.

Mixed land use is now recognized as a vital part to solving the transportation, fiscal, ecological and social problems sprawl has created. Local and federal government bodies must create policies that support mixed land use projects.

History of Land Use In D.C. Region

As the car became the primary mode of transportation in America, road projects throughout Virginia and Maryland were built to support them. Over the past fourty years, miles of farmland and open space have been transformed into highways, cities, and suburbs, and we are continuing to grow at a dramatic rate.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, more than 90,000 acres (nearly 150 square miles) of open land are consumed annually by growth in the Bay states. Maryland alone is losing nearly 30,000 acres of land each year to sprawl and could lose 700,000 acres (an area 10 times the size of the City of Baltimore) of valuable agricultural and forest land in the next 25 years. The pace of land consumption far exceeds the rate of population growth; each person uses four to five times more land per person than just 40 years ago.

The concerns of poorly planned growth need to be considered as decisions are made on regional land use. By creating communities where residential and commercial spaces are mixed, land can be used in a more efficient way. Mixed use development benefits both our natural and social environment, and creates stronger, healthier communities.