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Landscape Characterization / Urban Sprawl / Metrics
Metrics
Introduction-
Quantifying sprawl - Why Bother?
Informed public policy to address sprawl development requires an agreed upon
definition of sprawl and indicators to assess this phenomenon. This involves
relating changes in land use / land cover to changes in population using satellite
data and other land use data and census data and/or employing measures that
characterize the spatial patterns of development.
Scale:
Sprawl development is evaluated and mapped at different geographical
scales to provide perspective and to target sprawl “hot spots” in order to support
more informed land use decision-making concerning this phenomenon. Mapping sprawl
provides a “picture” of where this type of growth is occurring, helps to identify
the environmental and natural resources threatened by sprawl, and to suggest the
likely future directions and patterns of sprawling growth. Ultimately the power
to manage of sprawl resides with local municipal governments that vary considerably
in terms of will and ability to address sprawl issues. The geographical scales
at which sprawl is mapped include:
WHAT ABOUT USING A SET OF NESTED IMAGES OR MAPS TO DEMONSTRATE THE VARIOUS
SPATIAL SCALES AT WHICH SPRAWL COULD BE EVALUATED?
Choroplethic mapping:
- removing correlation with area
Types of measures:
- size measures (pop, imperviousness)
- density measures (pop density, % impervious)
- ratio measures (pavement per person, K-index)
- ancillary data (distance to work, average commute time, zoning)
- shape measures (fragmentation of imperviousness, insularity)
Description of specific measures
- population density
- impervious surfaces
- pavement per person
- distance from home to work
US Census and Landsat 5 & 7 Derived Data and Indicators
For Sprawl Measurement and Assessment
- Population
1990
- Units
of Impervious lands 1990
- Population
per unit of impervious land (density by developed land) 1990
- Impervious
land per capita 1990
- Population
2000
- Units
of Impervious lands 2000
- Population
per unit of impervious land (density by developed land) 2000
- Impervious
land per capita 2000
- Change
in units of impervious land 1990-2000
- Impervious
lands % change 1990-2000
- Population
change 1990 to 2000
- Population
% change (1990-2000)
- Population
per unit of impervious land, % change 1990-2000
- Amount
of impervious land units per new resident
- Low
Density Impervious Land as a % of Total Impervious (1990)
- Low
Density Impervious Land as a % of Total Impervious (2000)
- Units
of Resource (Agricultural/forest) lands 1990
- Units
of Resource (Agricultural/forest) lands 2000
- Change
in units of Resource (Agriculture/forest) lands
- Resource
lands % change 1990-2000
- Change
in resource land units per new resident
Example of a study from Baltimore County or Maryland
Introduction
Methods
Results
Conclusion
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