Value in Cities: Resource Scarcity and the Need for Conservation and Preservation. (RE-ANNOUNCEMENT of PB85-126936-see notes field for explanation)
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As growing scarcities drive up the cost of resources needed to develop new urban settlements, the value of much of the existing capital stock in cities will increase. America has moved from an age of relatively inexpensive, abundant resources to an age of relative resource scarcity; however, since resource scarcity has not reached crisis proportions in the perceptions of citizens, there has been a general tendency to deny the impact of this new age of scarcity on the standard of living. Some who are aware of the scarcity are confident that technology will provide a solution, but there is certain to be an interim period of relative resource scarcity, price changes, and modifications in the manner in which individuals and the Nation as a whole exploit available resources. Management of human settlements must become more efficient, as investments in new and existing infrastructure are directed according to their ability to conserve resources and preserve available facilities. Efficient management of urban development will require more than simply investing in the conservation and preservation of existing urban infrastructures; it will also require using these investments to modify urban facilities to accommodate the changing needs of urban populations. Urban centers must not be simply preserved; they must also be reshaped to provide an acceptable quality of life for their present and future residents. This will require a close examination of the preferences and expectations of American citizens regarding the quality of life in American Cities. Graphic and tabular data indicate the percent of new urban land in 53 selected counties converted from agricultural uses by regional groupings of the counties for 1961 - 70 and the summary of differences between the presteam, and oil/electricity eras.