Enough growth to fill Wyoming

Are you ready for a massive increase in suburban sprawl in the next two decades? That’s what were headed for, according to the Pew Oceans Commission report. The study projects show that developed land in the US will rise by 50 to 80 million acres, or 50 to 80 percent by 2025 (currently, about 100 million acres are developed). To put these figures in perspective, Wyoming has 62 million acres — fewer than the mid-range projection. Driving this rise in land consumption is the low density of new development. From 1982 to 1992, land use increased 1.8 times faster than population. From 1992 to 1997, land use increased 2.5 times faster than population — reflecting development that is getting lower in density and more disconnected, according to figures from a US Agriculture Department study. Assuming building densities stabilize, development will consume 68 million acres by 2025.