Geography

Mapping land development through periods of economic bubble and bust in Massachusetts using Landsat time series data

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This study examines the change from undeveloped to developed land-use during the real estate bubble (2000-2006) and subsequent bust (2006-2013) in Massachusetts, USA, using a time series of Landsat-5, 7, and 8 data. Loss in undeveloped land-use was measured using standardized change detection of Landsat green vegetation and albedo fractions. Between periods of bubble and bust, a significant difference occurred in the total area of undeveloped land-use loss (bubble, 35.9 km2; bust, 29.18 km2), as well as mean loss-patch area (p < 0.001), from 4848 m2 to 4079 m2 (16% decrease). The area of undeveloped land-use loss was 81% greater in forest than agricultural land-use during the bubble and only 51% greater, post-bubble. Undeveloped urban forest loss constituted 25% of all losses during the bubble, while during the bust it was 42%. These findings indicate that total area of undeveloped land-use loss changed due to the economic recession and that those losses reorient from forest and agricultural areas toward areas adjacent to existing development (i.e., urban forests).

Publication Title

GIScience and Remote Sensing

Publication Date

2015

Volume

52

Issue

4

First Page

397

Last Page

415

ISSN

1548-1603

DOI

10.1080/15481603.2015.1045277

Keywords

economic recession, land-use change, Landsat, Massachusetts, spectral mixture analysis

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