ABSTRACT
Land, like air and water, is a natural resource that is affected by almost any urban environmental decision-making process. When analysts or administrators make decisions about water management, air pollution, transportation, urban open space, waste disposal, or urban development, they are making decisions that will have some impact on land use. In this chapter, we focus on land-use change, urban sprawl, brownfields, and urban open space as some core ecological issues associated with land as an urban natural resource. We also outline some social issues—mainly focusing on environmental equity—that result from urban land-use decisions. We do not go into great detail about smart growth initiatives or highway planning. Although these are important topics, they are covered in other textbooks, especially those focused on transportation planning. Here, we focus on how land-use changes in the urban environment can have an impact on the natural environment (for example, through species and habitat changes) and the social environment (for example, by changing the availability of open space) and exploring how that can affect humans.
