ABSTRACT
Today, as we fly across the U.S., we can plainly see what is happening — and what is likely to happen — to our country’s landscape. More than 80 percent of the population lives in cities, and these cities are rapidly expanding. Over the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, for example, we are struck by the extensive clearing for new development, which creates a mosaic of forest, bare soil, pavement, and houses. When we land at Atlanta’s airport, we notice that it is no longer at the edge of the city, but in the middle of a sprawling metropolis.
