Greenfield Development

Urban development has grown at a rapid pace since the 1950''s, and the rate of this development has increased until recently when economic conditions have decreased. The urban development construction practices used to convert a natural site to a new subdivision have impacts on the environment immediately surrounding the site and beyond. Some of these impacts include the loss of farmland and a loss of wildlife habitats, an increase in air pollution, water pollution, and an increase of energy consumption. However, these impacts are dispersed and not very specific and in order to improve construction practices, more information about the impact that urban development has on the environment needs to be collected and studied.