Does Urban Sprawl Spread Like Manure?

Abstract

Manure is spread evenly over agricultural lands to benefit the production of crops, resources, and food to the surrounding inhabitants. Does the spread of urban development benefit the neighboring agricultural lands in the same manner as manure? Unlike genetically engineered seeds and fertilizer that behave predictably and consistently, urban sprawl is not as predictable, nor as consistent. Variables at the local level determine where new development will occur and even when that development occurs. We demonstrate the effects of urban sprawl in terms of the number of urban inhabitants, agricultural production, and the change in political boundaries from 1840 to present time.