Suburban and exurban developments are pushing traditional land uses aside at a rate of more than a million acres of rural land per year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Intact farms and ranches produce a host of social benefits that make the nation livable. But as the countryside fragments into smaller parcels, it no longer produces food, fiber and the open spaces that add charm to rural America. Any midlevel corporate executive can outbid ranchers for the rights to a secluded hillside pasture, even though his seclusion is subsidized by the few ranches that remain."
"America is filled with spectacular views, often threatened by people who will never be satisfied until they own one. But the view isn’t going anywhere. Those who care to climb these grassy hillsides can discover it for themselves, at no cost. It’s only those determined to buy it -- to tame the landscape within a picture window -- who spoil it for everyone."
FULL STORY: Too Many Homes on the Range

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Study: Walkability Can Help Reduce Dementia Risk
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Empower LA: The LA2050 Grants Challenge
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Edmonds
City of Albany
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research