The Future of Agricultural Landscape Preservation in the Phoenix Metropolitan Region

Abstract

Population growth in the Phoenix metropolitan region is converting agricultural landscapes into suburban sprawl at one of the most rapid rates in the United States, yet little has been done to protect this resource, which has been vital to the development of this region’s sense of place as a land of economic opportunity. This paper addresses the status of the region’s land-use planning options for agricultural landscape preservation on private land. In order to reveal the value of the region’s landscape character, the authors first present a typology of the four major agricultural landscapes remaining on private land, and the diverse farming traditions of some of the region’s major ethnic and religious groups that created these landscapes are described. Next, the challenges and opportunities facing the preservation of these four remaining landscapes are discussed in relation to changing land attitudes and values in Arizona. Existing land-use planning and policy options for protection of the four remaining landscapes at the federal, state, and local levels are discussed, and examples of the integration of agricultural landscapes into the physical design of suburban development are provided. Finally, for the benefit of legislators, policy-makers, and planners, the authors make recommendations for the development of a landscape-based policy framework and tools for the protection of agricultural landscapes in the region.