Urban sprawl has become a hot-button issue today, as cities become larger and expand into agricultural areas, according to one ISU professor.

Elisabeth Hamin, an associate professor of community and regional planning (CRP), said urban sprawl can be defined as unplanned or uncoordinated growth.

Two Iowa State CRP classes are researching different projects to examine growth strategies that may or may not be appropriate for Story County, Hamin said.

The classes are gathering information and putting together alternatives to help Story County update its development plan.

Hamin said the classes are looking at how to protect agricultural land and manage urban containment and are also studying the effects of affordable housing and community density on urban sprawl.

Story County has seen a moderate growth in development, said Les Beck, planner for Story County planner.

The county’s cities are annexing more land, mostly in Ames, where some sprawl is occurring on the west side of the city, but also in Nevada.

The demand for primarily residential rural growth also follows urban growth patterns, she said.

Beck said the county will work with cities to minimize the impact of growth on surrounding areas

The economic impacts can be positive, such as investments in new developments, but they also may have adverse effects on the agricultural industry, she said.

Story County has developed a land use plan which sets the boundaries for county-supported rural development.

The boundaries are typically about one mile outside the city limits and are used by developers and for rezoning decisions, Beck said.

In the process of developing policies, the county wanted to protect natural resources and highly productive agricultural land, but they also sought to accommodate growth and development, Beck said.

To develop the plans, the county first identified the environmental areas that were worthy of preserving and protecting because of their conditions, he said.

These areas were mostly in the river and stream valleys.

The second step was to create a plan identifying the high-value agriculture lands, Beck said.

The third step examined where growth and development could occur in the rest of the county.

Story County has a well-designed program, Hamin said. She serves on the State of Iowa Commission on Urban Planning, Growth Management of Cities, and Protection of Farmland, which studies the effects of urban sprawl across the state.

Hamin said the state legislature is allowing counties to become more aware of the problems and provide them with policy tools to address sprawl issues and manage their growth.