78 posts · 51,759 views
Per Square Mile is a blog about density. It’s about what happens when people live like packed sardines. It’s also about what happens when people live so far apart they can go days without seeing another soul. It’s about living amongst trees and prairies, and living in places miles away from them. It’s about the trees and the prairies, too. And lakes and streams and animals and insects. In short, this is a blog about density of all types.
Tim De Chant
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- December 16, 2011
- 10:15 AM
- 2,753 views
Income inequality in the Roman Empire
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Over the last 30 years, wealth in the United States has been steadily concentrating in the upper economic echelons. Whereas the top 1 percent used to control a little over 30 percent of the wealth, they now control 40 percent. It’s a trend that was for decades brushed under the rug but is now on [...]... Read more »
Scheidel, W., & Friesen, S. (2010) The Size of the Economy and the Distribution of Income in the Roman Empire. Journal of Roman Studies, 61. DOI: 10.3815/007543509789745223
- April 22, 2011
- 12:04 PM
- 1,348 views
Urbanites leave the car behind, but not as often as might think
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
It’s generally accepted as fact that people in big cities drive less. Things are closer together there, making it easier to walk to the store for a gallon of milk. For longer trips, mass transit is also an option. But boiling all that common sense down to a single number is difficult. And though our [...]... Read more »
Cervero, R., & Murakami, J. (2010) Effects of built environments on vehicle miles traveled: evidence from 370 US urbanized areas. Environment and Planning A, 42(2), 400-418. DOI: 10.1068/a4236
- February 18, 2011
- 01:18 PM
- 1,342 views
Do people follow trains, or do trains follow people? London’s Underground solves a riddle
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Transit oriented development is all the rage in urban planning these days. Proponents claim new transit coupled with mixed-use zoning will ignite growth in otherwise struggling areas. Detractors claim running new lines to low-density neighborhoods will leave cities burdened with white elephants. Overall, reality is probably somewhere in between, but transit and population density is [...]... Read more »
Levinson, D. (2007) Density and dispersion: the co-development of land use and rail in London. Journal of Economic Geography, 8(1), 55-77. DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lbm038
- February 22, 2011
- 12:35 PM
- 1,302 views
Plants rockin’ the suburbs, animals not so much
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Where there are more people, there’s less nature. It’s a fairly well established fact. Manhattan may have the odd hawk or falcon, but the paved island’s diversity of plants and animals just can’t compare to that of 23 square miles of pristine wilderness. What’s less known is how well biodiversity fares in human landscapes that [...]... Read more »
McKinney, M. (2008) Effects of urbanization on species richness: A review of plants and animals. Urban Ecosystems, 11(2), 161-176. DOI: 10.1007/s11252-007-0045-4
- February 16, 2011
- 02:42 PM
- 1,270 views
Can we feed the world and save its forests?
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Nine billion is the number that will define the 21st century. That’s the number of people expected to live on this planet by 2045. But 9 billion mouths are a lot to feed, and each of them will hopefully have more than enough to eat. Achieving both goals—feeding 9 billion and feeding them properly—will be a [...]... Read more »
Lambin, E., & Meyfroidt, P. (2011) Inaugural Article: Global land use change, economic globalization, and the looming land scarcity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1100480108
- April 27, 2011
- 11:42 AM
- 1,152 views
Tell me how much you drive, and I’ll tell you where you live
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Travel can be revealing. In many cases, “where” can answer as much about a person as “who.” Much of who we are is tied up in what sorts of stores we frequent, where we work, and where we go for fun. While that sounds creepy—especially given the recent furor over smartphones storing location information—city-wide travel [...]... Read more »
Giuliano, G., & Narayan, D. (2003) Another look at travel patterns and urban form: The US and Great Britain. Urban Studies, 40(11), 2295-2312. DOI: 10.1080/0042098032000123303
- February 28, 2011
- 02:05 PM
- 1,151 views
When greenbelts fail
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Parks are often preservationists’ first line of defense against sprawl. To many, they’re a win-win arrangement—less rambling development and more open space. But the same qualities that make them attractive to planners—higher property values, more recreational opportunities, and pleasing aesthetics—also draws new residents, undermining their sprawl-fighting virtues. Greater London and the San Francisco Bay Area [...]... Read more »
Wu, J. (2003) The influence of public open space on urban spatial structure. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 46(2), 288-309. DOI: 10.1016/S0095-0696(03)00023-8
- March 7, 2011
- 12:17 PM
- 1,127 views
The roadless neighborhoods of Radburn, New Jersey
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Planners looking to imbue their development with a little old school appeal have a best friend in alleys. The petite thoroughfares tuck bland garage doors behind friendlier looking houses, shrink lots to squeeze in more housing, and leave sidewalks and streets that are free of driveways and curb cuts. Alleys have their charm, I admit. [...]... Read more »
Alexander Garvin. (2002) Residential Suburbs. The American City: What Works, What Doesn't, 305-343. info:other/0071373675
- April 12, 2011
- 03:10 PM
- 1,110 views
The rural-urban fringe, circa 1942
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
It’s cliché to say, “Everything that’s old is new again,” but boy if it isn’t true sometimes. I recently unearthed a monograph from 1942 about the conflict between urban and rural land uses, and a number of sections read like they were written yesterday. George Wehrwein, the author of the monograph and a well respected [...]... Read more »
Wehrwein, G. (1942) The Rural-Urban Fringe. Economic Geography, 18(3), 217. DOI: 10.2307/141123
- July 29, 2011
- 12:07 PM
- 1,102 views
Swedes move to the city, but don’t leave the forest behind
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
If there’s one thing that comes to mind when you think of Sweden besides Ikea and meatballs, it’s probably forests. They cover nearly 70 percent of the country. As a result, Swedes have a very close relationship with their forests, though the nature of it has changed in the last few decades. Swedish forests have [...]... Read more »
Axelsson, A. (2001) Retrospective gap analysis in a Swedish boreal forest landscape using historical data. Forest Ecology and Management, 147(2-3), 109-122. DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1127(00)00470-9
Linder, P., & Östlund, L. (1998) Structural changes in three mid-boreal Swedish forest landscapes, 1885–1996. Biological Conservation, 85(1-2), 9-19. DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3207(97)00168-7
Lindhagen, A. (2000) Forest recreation in 1977 and 1997 in Sweden: changes in public preferences and behaviour. Forestry, 73(2), 143-153. DOI: 10.1093/forestry/73.2.143
Kardell, Lars. (1980) Forest mushrooms and berries—an endangered resource?. Ambio, 9(5), 241-247. info:/
- February 11, 2011
- 12:29 PM
- 1,060 views
The woods that were
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Half a block from my childhood home is a park in which I spent countless hours. But it isn’t your ordinary city park. Within the confines of its unusually large 14 acres lie three distinct forests, each a snapshot of a period in time for America’s eastern hardwood forests. At the time, the smallest was [...]... Read more »
Zhang, Q., Pregitzer, K., & Reed, D. (2000) Historical Changes in the Forests of the Luce District of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The American Midland Naturalist, 143(1), 94-110. DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031(2000)143[0094:HCITFO]2.0.CO;2
- March 9, 2011
- 07:14 PM
- 1,044 views
Eco-friendly fish farms
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Emotions have been boiling over in California as the decade-plus process of implementing the Marine Life Protection Act is finally coming to fruition. The end-game is the establishment of a series of reserves off the California coast. And while the state has a number of existing protected areas, they’re mere specs in comparison. The new [...]... Read more »
Gaines, S., White, C., Carr, M., & Palumbi, S. (2010) Marine Reserves Special Feature: Designing marine reserve networks for both conservation and fisheries management. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(43), 18286-18293. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0906473107
GÅRDMARK, A., JONZÉN, N., & MANGEL, M. (2005) Density-dependent body growth reduces the potential of marine reserves to enhance yields. Journal of Applied Ecology, 43(1), 61-69. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01104.x
HALPERN, B., LESTER, S., & KELLNER, J. (2010) Spillover from marine reserves and the replenishment of fished stocks. Environmental Conservation, 36(04), 268-276. DOI: 10.1017/S0376892910000032
Halpern, B., & Warner, R. (2002) Marine reserves have rapid and lasting effects. Ecology Letters, 5(3), 361-366. DOI: 10.1046/j.1461-0248.2002.00326.x
Roberts, C. (2001) Effects of Marine Reserves on Adjacent Fisheries. Science, 294(5548), 1920-1923. DOI: 10.1126/science.294.5548.1920
Stobart, B., Warwick, R., González, C., Mallol, S., Díaz, D., Reñones, O., & Goñi, R. (2009) Long-term and spillover effects of a marine protected area on an exploited fish community. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 47-60. DOI: 10.3354/meps08007
- August 22, 2011
- 02:59 PM
- 1,019 views
In race against fire, only the fleetest trees survive
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Density matters. That’s the premise of this blog, after all. The number of people per square mile influences the character of a place—a topic I’ve covered repeatedly—but human population density isn’t everything. Take savannas. They are ecosystems defined by density. Savannas are grasslands dotted with trees—not too many and not too few. They can have [...]... Read more »
Wakeling, J., Staver, A., & Bond, W. (2011) Simply the best: the transition of savanna saplings to trees. Oikos. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19957.x
- May 3, 2011
- 11:45 AM
- 996 views
Animals seek calm seas in oceans of human influence
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Habitat loss can be like death by a thousand cuts for ecosystems. Each conversion to farmland, housing, or pasture, when taken on its own, may seem a small, inconsequential nick on the surface of a vast planet. But together, and over decades and centuries, these cuts add up, leaving only tiny remnants of the original [...]... Read more »
Brady, M., McAlpine, C., Miller, C., Possingham, H., & Baxter, G. (2009) Habitat attributes of landscape mosaics along a gradient of matrix development intensity: matrix management matters. Landscape Ecology, 24(7), 879-891. DOI: 10.1007/s10980-009-9372-6
Brady, M., McAlpine, C., Possingham, H., Miller, C., & Baxter, G. (2011) Matrix is important for mammals in landscapes with small amounts of native forest habitat. Landscape Ecology. DOI: 10.1007/s10980-011-9602-6
- March 29, 2011
- 11:51 AM
- 995 views
Keep your eyes to yourself
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
There’s an unwritten rule followed by nearly all city dwellers—never make eye contact. If you attempt to do so, your glance will be met with utter disregard. You do not exist, other than being an object to avoid. I learned this the hard way. Upon moving to San Francisco from Minnesota—the friendliest of all possible [...]... Read more »
Newman, J., & McCauley, C. (1977) Eye Contact with Strangers in City, Suburb, and Small Town. Environment and Behavior, 9(4), 547-558. DOI: 10.1177/001391657794006
Bornstein, M., & Bornstein, H. (1976) The pace of life. Nature, 259(5544), 557-559. DOI: 10.1038/259557a0
Bornstein, M. (1979) The Pace of Life: Revisited. International Journal of Psychology, 14(1), 83-90. DOI: 10.1080/00207597908246715
Wirtz, P., & Ries, G. (1992) The Pace of Life - Reanalysed: Why Does Walking Speed of Pedestrians Correlate With City Size?. Behaviour, 123(1), 77-83. DOI: 10.1163/156853992X00129
- April 15, 2011
- 11:25 AM
- 995 views
Small farms in modern times
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Amartya Sen came from some not-so-humble beginnings. Born in to a well connected family and reportedly named by a Nobel Laureate in literature, Sen studied at Trinity College and received his first professorship at the tender age of 23. Expectations were high, and lucky for Sen, his career would live up to them, eventually winning [...]... Read more »
Eastwood, R., Lipton, M., & Newell, A. (2010) Farm Size. Handbook of Agricultural Economics, 3323-3397. DOI: 10.1016/S1574-0072(09)04065-1
Newell, A., Pandya, K., & Symons, J. (1997) Farm Size and the Intensity of Land Use In Gujarat. Oxford Economic Papers, 307-315. info:/
- March 24, 2011
- 12:32 PM
- 993 views
Paying for proximity: The value of houses near train stations
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
“You can’t get there from here” are words people seldom like to hear. Nor do they like being stuck in traffic jams. Or walking miles to get home from a train station or bus stop. People will pay good money for a house that can offer them an easy way to get to point B, [...]... Read more »
Davis, F.W. (1970) Proximity to a rapid transit station as a factor in residential property values. The Appraisal Journal, 554-572. info:/
Gibbons, S., & Machin, S. (2005) Valuing rail access using transport innovations. Journal of Urban Economics, 57(1), 148-169. DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2004.10.002
- April 8, 2011
- 11:14 AM
- 991 views
The great (big) American lawn
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Spring is descending on the United States. Buds on trees and shrubs are swelling, and brittle brown grass is beginning to show green signs of life. As people put away their snow shovels and dust off their lawn mowers, it’s also a good time to take stock of the American lawn, which plays a starring [...]... Read more »
Robbins, P. (2003) Turfgrass revolution: measuring the expansion of the American lawn. Land Use Policy, 20(2), 181-194. DOI: 10.1016/S0264-8377(03)00006-1
- May 10, 2011
- 12:03 PM
- 970 views
Green planet, clean water
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
In a world of finite resources, fresh water stands next in line to cause shortage, misery, and conflict. Only about 2.5 percent of the world’s water is fresh, and most of that is locked up in ice sheets and glaciers—much of which is melting into the salty ocean thanks to climate change. That tiny sliver [...]... Read more »
Wickham, J., Wade, T., & Riitters, K. (2011) An environmental assessment of United States drinking water watersheds. Landscape Ecology. DOI: 10.1007/s10980-011-9591-5
- March 31, 2011
- 10:55 AM
- 935 views
Proximity sans convenience: Houses near train tracks and freeways
by Tim De Chant in Per Square Mile
Train tracks and highways are wonderful things. They zip ourselves and our stuff around with unparalleled efficiency. Never has getting anywhere been so easy. They are true marvels of the modern age—unless you can’t use them. Train tracks without nearby stations or those that don’t serve passengers aren’t conveniences, they’re rumbling menaces. And highways without [...]... Read more »
Kilpatrick, John A., Throupe, Ronald L., Carruthers, John I., & Krause,. (2007) The Impact of Transit Corridors on Residential Property Values. Journal of Real Estate Research, 29(3), 303-320. info:/
Poon, L. (1978) Railway Externalities and Residential Property Prices. Land Economics, 54(2), 218. DOI: 10.2307/3146235
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