ABSTRACT
Accurate identification and characterization of rural land-use problems is an essential prerequisite to planning. While the analytical problem has been identified in relation to the urban versus agriculture land issue, a similar conceptual framework could be applied to the analysis of those other issues identified previously. Too often, governments have responded to land-use problems that are believed to exist, doing so in the absence of accurate information on the nature, magnitude and spatial extent of the perceived problems. Although the agriculture-to-urban land conversion issue has held prominence for some time, other land-use issues have also been widely recognized. The most important analytical issue is to identify the extent to which supply and demand differ in quantity. A predicted large excess of supply would, in the absence of other concerns, suggest minimal intervention in the land market. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
