ABSTRACT
Spatial growth of cities and the accompanying pattern of development at their edges and in adjacent rural areas continue to generate debate concerning the costs of urban “sprawl” (Burgess and Bier 1998; Heimlich and Anderson 2001; Raup 1975; Vesterby and Heimlich 1991). During the 1970s, concern was most often expressed in terms of reduced national food production capacity associated with conversion of cropland to urban-related uses (Dunford 1983; Fischel 1982). More recently, concerns related to conversion of cropland to urban-related uses are expressed in the context of rural/urban conflicts, reduced quality and quantity of local food production, and losses of “rural amenities” (Hellerstein et al. 2002).
