Chapter 4: Agriculture & Society “The size of the parcel of land matters less than the relationship of the people to it.” Francis Moore Lape and Joseph Collins

The City Officials in California determined that in 8 years (84’ - 92’) 210,000 acres of farmland were converted into towns and cities. Is this trend found in other areas? Urban areas are defined as a place with at least 5,000 people per sq. mi. Urban areas only account for 2% of the land use but contain 80% of the American population

By 2025 2/3 of the world population will be in urban settings. Non urban areas are relied upon heavily to sustain these urban areas. Therefore it is important to care for these areas in a sustainable manner. In the 1800’s people lived in Villages.

Urbanization the growth of cities occurred between 1880 and 1950 in developed countries now in developing countries Adequate support is needed for this growth of people.

Infrastructure Bridges Canals Sewers fire/police stations Schools Hospitals Water lines Power lines Gas Lines

Urban Crisis The term urban crisis was coined to describe this inability of infrastructure to keep pace with population growth in cities. By 2020 25% of the world’s city dwellers could be homeless.