ABSTRACT
In the United States, the right of property ownership-that is, freedom to do as one pleases with one's property-is considered sacrosanct. Consequently, the idea of planning or land-use control is not well received by a large number of individual property owners. Though several cities grew without appropriate land-use plans in place, many local governments have adopted comprehensive plans designed to provide a blueprint for land use and development in future years. Urban planning is the type of land-use planning that deals mainly with development in metropolitan areas. Sprawling patterns of development continue to be a major issue in the twenty-first century. Within the first half of this century, the American population is expected to increase by up to 50 percent. Although less visible than the construction of a new shopping center, soil erosion and the loss of agricultural productivity is no less a threat to communities than is urban sprawl.
