Urban Threats to Rural Lands: Background and Beginnings

Abstract

Although rich in land resources, the United States is vulnerable to increasing losses of agricultural land through uncontrolled urban expansion, and distorting influences of urban demands in rural land markets. Excessive use of space has been promoted through highway and housing finance, tax policies affecting capital gains, accelerated depreciation, deductibility of property taxes and mortgage interest, tax-exemption for municipal bonds, public utility pricing policies, and local government structures that resemble mining claims. Anticipated land value appreciation becomes a dominant force in shaping both our urban and rural structure, with results that threaten to become intolerably distorting in view of growing demands for energy conservation.