Parsing Parcels: Using GIS to Analyze Options for Farmland Preservation · 2013. 6. 13. · exploring these hypothetical options because this is where we have data; we plan to conduct

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Parsing Parcels: Using GIS to Analyze Options for Farmland Preservation

Anna Haines, Eric Olson, Dan McFarlaneUWSP – UWEX Center for Land Use Education

Growing WisconsinSpring 2007

Presentation Outline

I. Why Care About Parcelization?II. Details of UWSP Parcelization

Research ProjectIII. Hypothetical Application of

Research to Policy Analysis

I. Why Care About Parcelization?

Working Definition of Parcelization:The division of land parcels into

progressively smaller units– Ownership Units: Ownership Parcelization– Legal Units: Tax Parcel Parcelization

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Just as the division of tax parcels precedes division of ownership parcels, the division of ownership parcels precedes changes in land use, or LANDSCAPE FRAGMENTATION.


1940

1968

2005

Parcelization…Is Followed By Development & Fragmentation


Nationwide, development pressures in rural areas continues to grow and the search for effective management techniques intensifies

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-4.94%Wisconsin-5.04%California-5.41%Georgia-6.72%Vermont-7.35%Nevada-8.77%Massachusetts-9.72%Hawaii-10.34%DelawareFarmland Loss (2000-05)State

Farms and Land in Farms. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Washington, D.C.: February 2001 and January 2006. Summarized at cfed.org


We know more about what follows parcelization (land sales, developments, loss of farms, etc.) than we do about the first step in this process. This suggests a few questions…


• Is parcelization faster today than earlier times?

• Do policies impact parcelization, and if so, how?

• Can new or modified policies that target parcel creation improve the situation?

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Why Work On This Now?

• The development pressures seem intense• Comprehensive planning in Wisconsin

offers a chance to consider new growth management techniques

• Advances in GIS make the sort of historic spatial analysis needed to answer our questions feasible and practicable

II. Details of UWSP Parcelization Research Project

• Funding through the USDA Rural Development National Research Initiative

• Competitive federal grant for projects that bring together research, education, and extension (22% success rate)

• Funding covers cost of graduate and undergraduate students and GIS staff at UWSP ($380,000 over 4 years)


• Goals– Understand the drivers of parcelization– Measure potential effects that policies

have on land division• Objectives

– Reconstruct parcel histories– Systematically analyze change over time– Communicate results

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County SelectionA. Non-metro adjacent county

B. Community typology

C. Data accessibility

D. Favorable relationships


Bayfield CountyBayfield County

Columbia CountyColumbia County


Township SelectionA. Different rates of parcelization B. Addressing need for comprehensive planC. Favorable relationships


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Results

Lodi

Town of West Point Town of Lodi

Results

Town of West Point Town of Lodi

Results

Town of Springvale

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Results

Town of Springvale

Number of Ownership and Tax Parcels

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1936 1947 1953 1961 1967 1972 1983 1991 2000 2005

Year

Num

ber o

f Par

cels

Ownership ParcelsTax Parcels

West Point Lodi

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1936 1947 1953 1961 1967 1972 1983 1991 2000 2005

Year

Num

ber

of p

arce

ls


Parcelization Rates

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1953-1961 1962-1967 1968-1972 1973-1983 1984-1991 1992-2000 2001-2005

% In

crea

se

Ownerhship ParcelsTax Parcels

West Point Lodi

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1953-1961 1962-1967 1968-1972 1973-1983 1984-1991 1992-2000 2001-2005

% in

crea

se


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0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1936 1947 1953 1961 1967 1972 1983 1991 2000 2005

Num

ber

of P

arce

ls


Town of Springvale

-5%

5%

15%

25%

35%

45%

1953-1961 1962-1967 1968-1972 1973-1983 1984-1991 1992-2000 2001-2005


Number of Parcels Parcelization Rate

Number of Ownership and Tax Parcels

Acres Per Parcel Size Class

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1953 1961 1967 1972 1983 1991 2000 2005Year

Num

ber o

f Acr

es

0 - 22.1 - 55.1 - 1010.1 - 2020.1 - 3030.1 - 4040.1 - 8080.1 - 160160.1 - 240> 240

Lodi

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1953 1961 1967 1972 1983 1992 2000 2005

Year

Num

ber o

f Acr

es

Springvale

These numbers have a SPATIAL COMPONENT that simple tables would not show

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Spatial Dimensions of Parcel Patterns

Springvale

III. Hypothetical Application of Research to Policy Analysis

– How might this data set be used when considering land protection policies?

– Consider a hypothetical scenario wherein towns are considering a range of different possible “new rules” to change development patterns

– Handout summarizes some possible options

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III. Hypothetical Application of Research to Policy Analysis

We are using Columbia County data for exploring these hypothetical options because this is where we have data; we plan to conduct similar analysis with Bayfield County towns for comparison. Given time and resources, we would extend this to a regional scale.

Hypothetical total number of future new parcels- Town of West Point

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Current Policy 1 Policy 2 Policy 3 Policy 4

Past Trends Extrapolated to the Future- Town of West Point

0

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

2000

2250

1991 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Year

Num

ber o

f Par

cels

Policy 4

Policy 3

Current Policy

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Town of West Point Existing Developed Parcels

Hypothetical Future Development Rights Under Present Zoning

Hypothetical Future Development Rights Under Policy #3

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Hypothetical Future Development Rights Under Policy #4

TDR Scenario: Send Development to Hypothetical Receiving Area

Alternative TDR Scenario: Compare Hypothetical Policy 4 and TDR

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So What?• Measure potential impacts of different

policy alternatives• Identify areas of concern (ecological,

social, economical)• Envision future landscapes

Concluding Remarks

• Differences among policies can matter– Some matter more than others

• Technology exists– Let’s use it

• Think spatially

Questions? Contact Information:Dr. Anna Haines(715) [email protected]

Eric Olson(715) [email protected]

Dan [email protected]

UWSP – UWEX Center for Land Use Education

FACTORS INFLUENCING LAND PARCELIZATION IN AMENITY RICH RURAL AREAS AND THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF PLANNING AND POLICY VARIABLESCONTRACT/GRANT/AGREEMENT NO: 2005-35401-15924 PROPOSAL NO: 2005-01393

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Parsing Parcels: Using GIS to Analyze Options for Farmland Preservation · 2013. 6. 13. · exploring these hypothetical options because this is where we have data; we plan to conduct