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1. Land: An Overview

In this module, we will discuss:

• Amount of land in the U.S.• Four different types of land—

agricultural, rural, urban, and transitional• Site-selection characteristics that must

be taken into consideration

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Land—How Much Is There?

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Units of Measurement

• Acre: A measure of land equal to 160 square rods (43,560 square feet) in any shape.

• Acre-foot: Unit of volume used to measure water and the capacity of reservoirs. One acre-foot is a volume one foot deep covering an area of one acre.

• Cubic measure: A system of measuring volume or space by using cubic units. One cubic inch is 1 inch long by 1 inch wide by 1 inch high. A cubic foot is 1,728 cubic inches. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.

• Hectare: The customary metric unit of land area, equal to 2.471 acres.

• Rod: Traditional unit of measurement equal to 5.5 yards (16.5 feet).

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Types of Land

1. Agricultural land2. Rural land3. Urban land4. Transitional land

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Agricultural Land Produces income from the land in

some manner

Crops

Pastureland and ranches

Timber and forests Cropland, grassland, and forestland

combined cover more than 50% of the area of the U.S.

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Five “Program” Crops

1. Wheat - Farms that harvest wheat are largest2. Cotton - Capital intensive3. Corn - Used in starch, sweeteners, and fuel 4. Soybeans - Grown in rotation with corn5. Rice - Small but important crop for many

regions

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Productivity Measures

Bale A commercial unit of weight for shipments of cotton and hay. One bale of cotton = 480 lbs.

Barrel Used to measure liquids or dry commodities. One barrel of fuel is 42 gallons.

Bushel Used to weigh dry commodities such as grains and fruits.

Peck Used to weigh dry commodities, incl. grains, berries, and fruits. A peck is 2 gallons

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Ranch and Pastureland

• Raise livestock for breeding• Produce meats, hides, furs• Animals raised for meat accounted for

26% of cash receipts from U.S. farming in 2005.

• Productivity based on animal carrying capacity. Animal carrying capacity is rated on animal-unit-months (AUM).

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Environmental Pollution

• Runoff from agricultural operations adds to nutrient loading in rivers and streams and causes hypoxia (oxygen deprivation).

• Permits required for concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO or AFO)

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Farm Service Agency (FSA)

• Grew out of Depression Era government actions to provide relief for farmers

• Today, is one of the 17 agencies that comprise the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Oversight of the FSA is conducted at a county level.

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FSA Activities

• Price supports—Direct and counter-cyclical payments

• Marketing loan programs—short-term financing

• Commodity operations—acquisition, storage, and disposition of crops forfeited

• Conservation programs—Incentive payments and cost sharing

• Biofuel production—research and production of biofuels

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11 States Receive More Than Half of Federal Payments

1. Arkansas2. California3. Georgia4. Illinois5. Iowa6. Nebraska7. Minnesota8. Kansas9. Mississippi10. Missouri11. Texas

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Trends in Agricultural Land

• Globalization• Steady decline for crops and grazing• Graying of rural America• Rising land prices and rents• Biofuels• Off-farm income• Lifestyle farms

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Timber Facts

• There are 747 million acres of forestland in the U.S.

• More than 90% of single-family homes built in 2000 used wood framing.

• Paper companies are selling their timberland to financial investors. Timber is considered a stable investment.

• Timber values can range from few hundred $ per acre to several thousand $ per acre.

Source: American Forest and Paper Industry and Clemson University. U.S. Forests Facts and Figures, 2001. Available at: http://www.afandpa.org.

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Timberland Ownership

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58

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Government

Private owners

Forest productsindustry

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Rural Land

• Similar to agricultural land in that the area is not densely populated

• Located away from cities and population centers

• Two types of rural land:1. Undeveloped rural land

– National Wildlife Refuge system

– National Park System

2. Developed rural land

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Rural Land Development

• Economic• Infrastructure• Special needs• Natural resource enhancement

Rural land development can take many forms:

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Rural Land Development (cont.)

• Only 15% of rural workers work full time in farming.

• Many farms depend on off-farm income.

• Development of large lot homes and lifestyle farms retires production agricultural land .

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Urban Land

• Land within populated areas • Urban land houses 70% of the

nation’s population, but uses less than 3% of the land.

• Rate of urban land usage is growing at roughly double that of the population.

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Urban Land Development

Three types:

1. Commercial2. Residential3. Mixed use

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Industrial

Site selection factors:

• Size• Configuration• Parking• Expansion• Price• Access• Visibility• Rail• Other transportation• Distance to customers and to employees

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Retail

Site selection factors:

• Corner vs. inline• Level of service on street• Traffic light• Demographics• Side of the street• Parking• Drainage• Utilities• Build to suit

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Office

Site selection factors:

• Image• Size of site• Parking• Expansion plans• Floor area ratio• Proximity to hotels, restaurants and retail• Shell and tenant finish costs• Relocation• Timing for permits• Fiber optics availability• Build to suit

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Hospitality

Site selection factors:

• Size• Dimensions• Zoning• Liquor license• Visibility• Signage allowances• Access• Proximity to retail and other

hospitality sites

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Institutional

Sites include:

• Schools• Hospitals• Fire stations• Other facilities

Site criteria developed by demographics and projections of growth.

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Self-Storage

Site selection factors:

• Require 1.5 to 4 acres• Finished outside perimeter walls,

lighting• 3- to 4-story product• Typical unit is 10’ x 10'• Rents need to be in the $1+/SF/month

for high-rise to work• Conversion of older retail, obsolete

industrial buildings

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Senior Living

Property types include:

• Assisted living• Continuing care facilities• Active-adult communities

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Residential Land

• Single-family subdivisions• Multi-family sites

• New subdivisions created on formerly rural and agricultural land

• Downtown resurgence and revitalization

• Analysis of supply and demand

• Subdividing urban land

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Mixed-Use Development

• One of the hottest trends in land use • Combine retail-dining-entertainment

complex with residential, commercial, and office space into a planned area

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One Boulder Place

Source: Reprinted with permission from DTJ DESIGN. Courtesy of DTJ DESIGN, Boulder, Colorado.

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Sketch Plan for Big Valley, Idaho

Source: Reprinted with permission from David A. Clinger & Assoc. Ltd., Golden, CO.

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Challenges for Mixed-Use Developers

• Location must in area for targeted buyers and businesses

• Environment must work equally for each type of land use

• Community buy-in• Mechanicals• Separation of residential and

commercial/office/retail space• Security features

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Transitional Land

Types include:

• Agricultural to commercial• Urban development to buildings being

torn down• Agricultural to recreational

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Highest and Best Use

Use among all legally permissible and practically probable uses that will result in the highest land value

Physical factors:

• Accessibility• Location• Size and shape• Topography and soil• Environmental concerns• Transportation• Utilities

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Highest and Best Use (cont.)

Government and legal factors:

• Zoning requirements• Deed restrictions• Codes and ordinances• Title policy