Limited development as a tool for agricultural preservation in Massachusetts
Name
18369039-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
11.49 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
d64c703d15878d85970e175efc02ee93
Author(s)
Tuttle, William D. (William Davis)
Advisor(s)
Phillip B. Herr.
Date Issued
1988
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Limited development offers the hope of turning market development pressure which threatens open land into a means for financing its protection. In theory, the profit from developing a small portion of a parcel can be used to subsidize the protection of the remainder. This thesis critically examines the financial, institutional, and agricultural effectiveness of limited development as a tool for protecting farmland. An alternative accounting methodology is proposed which expresses cash flows as sources and uses of subsidies for the support of non-market land uses, allowing comparison of limited development and traditional tools for financing land conservation. The model also attempts to determine the extent to which limited development profits are due to enhancement of development land value by the restriction of adjacent open space, market appreciation in real estate prices, and deal-making and subdivision of land. The model assumes the perspective of a non-profit limited developer. The model is then applied to three Massachusetts case studies of farmland preservation through limited development. The agricultural viability of the protected farmland is briefly examined in each case study. The thesis concludes that limited development often provides only a minor supplement to public subsidy programs and private contributions in the protection of farmland, although it can supply significant subsidies in some cases. Furthermore, limited development can put a non-profit into the awkward and risky role of a for-profit developer. Agriculturally, limited development leaves small farm parcels adjacent to residential use. While not ideal, such a pattern is typical of metropolitan areas, and one to which some farmers have successfully adapted.
Description
Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture; and, (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1988.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-197).
Subjects
Architecture.
Urban Studies and Planning.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Architecture
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
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