ABSTRACT
Land economics research has always had its urban, nonagricultural branch. In fact, the economics of resource use and property was central to the conceptual structure of aggregative economic analyses of the classical tradition and of many of its critics (Henry George, e.g.). Much of the economic research in forestry, urban planning, and mineral exploitation was--and is--"Land economics" research in the meaning given the term in this work. However, this chapter will center on rural land economics research and that in which agriculture is central because the volume of land economic research is far greater in this context than in all others combined and because the area of training and experience of the author is in this area and he is familiar only with the research output of this field. Nevertheless, the conceptual framework for land economics research developed in this chapter is equally applicable to all branches of the field; it is only in the illustrations used and appraisals made that its narrower focus on rural and agricultural land is apparent.
