This collaborative research project between researchers at UC California and UC Santa Barbara will 1) Build a comprehensive national spatial database for measuring the extent, patterns and environmental and resource impacts of metropolitan population growth in America; 2) Use that database to statistically identify key and common drivers of metropolitan growth across all continental U.S. regions and metropolitan areas; 3) Build a series of GIS-based models for projecting and simulating alternative future patterns and densities of U.S. population growth; and 4) Explore the impacts of at least three alternative development scenarios on the natural landscape and ecology, on urban energy and water use, and on vehicle miles of travel - a major correlate with urban air pollution. The results of this research project will enable current and future generations of urban and environmental researchers and policy-makers to identify key drivers of metropolitan growth; as well as key interventions designed to conserve near-urban land, water, air, energy, and habitat resources.

Principal Investigators:
John Landis
Frank Davis
Robert Cervero
Michael Hanemann

Contact Information:
Tel:  510.642.1692
Fax:  510.642.1641
Email:  robertc@berkeley.edu

Funding Information:
National Science Foundation

Start Date: 1/15/06