The good, the bad and the ugly: 30 years of land use changes in the Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area,

This presentation is prepared for AAG2016. 

 Abstract

In the past
several decades, Utah has experienced significant population growth and
landscape transformation. Large amounts of land (especially agricultural land)
have been developed for various urban uses, raising concerns over a wide range
of issues, such as degradation of agricultural landscapes, disturbance of
ecological functions, and water resources management. Utah’s projected growth
of 2.5 million people by 2050 added to the current 2.7 million population
creates urgency and necessities to discuss how to plan for Utah’s land use to
ensure Utah’s future sustainability and prosperity. A foundation of successful
future land use planning and policy entails a more detailed and comprehensive
understanding of  historical land use change trends and patterns. We
examine 30 years of land use changes in the Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area
(WRMA), where 80% of Utah’s population resides and where Utah’s future growth
will most likely to occur.  Using GIS, spatial statistics and landscape
metrics, we: 1) characterize the urban land use transformation; and 2) analyze
relationships between urbanization processes and agricultural land
transformation. By disclosing the good, the bad, and the ugly of last 30 years
of land use change in northern Utah, this study intends to provide a frame of
reference for land use planning and management in the region. 
Recommended Citation:
Li, E., S. Li, and J. Endter-Wada.  The good, the bad and the ugly: 30 years of land use changes in the Wasatch Range Metropolitan Area, Utah.  Presentation at the 2016 Association of American Geographers Annual Conference, San Francisco, California, USA, March 2016.