As external forces increase the demand for land conversion, communities are increasingly open to policies that encourage conservation of farm and forest lands. This interest in conservation notwithstanding, the consequences of land-use policy and the drivers of land conversions are often unclear. One of the first books to deal exclusively with the economics of rural-urban sprawl, Economics and Contemporary Land-Use Policy explores the causes and consequences of rapidly accelerating land conversions in urban-fringe areas, as well as implications for effective policy responses. This book emphasizes the critical role of both spatial and economic-ecological interactions in contemporary land use, and the importance of a practical, policy-oriented perspective. Chapters illustrate an interaction of conceptual, theoretical, and empirical approaches to land-use policy and highlight advances in policy-oriented economics associated with the conservation and development of urban-fringe land. Issues addressed include (1) the appropriate role of economics in land-use policy, (2) forecasting and management of land conversion, (3) interactions among land use, property values, and local taxes, and (4) relationships among rural amenities, rural character, and urban-fringe land-use policy. Economics and Contemporary Land-Use Policy is a timely and relevant contribution to the land-use policy debate and will prove an essential reference for policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels. It will also be of interest to students, academics, and anyone with an interest in the practical application of economics to land-use issues.

Introduction: Economics and Contemporary Land Use Policy -- Robert J. Johnston and Stephen K. SwallowPART I: Economic Approaches to Land Use PolicyLand, Economic Change, and Economic Doctrine -- Emery N. CastleProperty Rights and Land Use Conflicts: Reconciling Myth and Reality - Daniel W. BromleyPART II: Explaining Land Use Conversion: Spatial PerspectivesForecasting Residential Land Use Change -- Elena G. Irwin, Kathleen P. Bell, and Jacqueline GeogheganForecasting Development at the Suburban Fringe -- Joshua Templeton, Diane Hite, and Brent SohngenDescribing Land Use Change in Multidisciplinary Analyses -- Jeffrey D. KlineCritical Mass: Does the Number of Productive Farmland Acres or Farms Affect Farmland Loss? -- Lori LynchPART III: Land Conservation: Implications for Value and TaxationAre Agricultural Land Preservation ProgramsSelf-Financing? -- Jacqueline Geoghegan, Lori Lynch, and Shawn J. BucholtzLand Development and Current Use Assessment - Richard W. England and Robert D. MohrAlternative Valuation Strategies for Public Open-Space Purchases: Stated versus Market Evidence -- John Loomis, Andrew F. Seidl, Kerri L. Rollins and Vicki RamekerPART IV: Rural Amenities and Landscape ConservationA Multifunctional Approach to Northeastern Agriculture -- Sandra S. BatieFarmland Preservation Programs and the Importance of Rural Amenities --Cynthia J. Nickerson and Daniel M. HellersteinSupport for Conservation Policies and Values for Conservation: Are They Related? -- Robert J. Johnston, Stephen K. Swallow, Dana Marie Bauer, and Lisa D. PhiloIntegrating Biophysical and Economic Information to Guide Land Conservation Investments -- Paul J. FerraroPART V: ConclusionEconomics and Land Use Policy: Where Do We Go from Here? -- Robert J. Johnston