March 4, 2025
Newly released land use data shows the land consumption rate in Greater Philadelphia from 2005-2023 was nearly half that of 1990-2005. Explore the region’s land consumption data in today's #TrackingTuesday.
The Connections 2050 Long-Range Plan sets a vision to preserve and restore the natural environment and to develop inclusive, healthy, and walkable communities. It includes a goal to permanently protect one million acres of open space in Greater Philadelphia by 2040. Limiting additional sprawl and infilling denser development in areas where it already exists can slow land consumption in the region. This can further reduce the need to build costly new infrastructure, decrease reliance on motorized vehicles, and enhance the viability of existing transit service. Increasing the amount of protected, easily accessible open space also improves the environment by preserving and expanding tree coverage and vegetation. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, improve air quality, provide shade, help to manage storm water, and have been shown to increase home values. Additionally, access to natural areas can improve mental and physical health through exercise and reduced stress.
Land use data from DVRPC shows that total developed land increased by 253,000 acres, or 32%, from 1990 to 2023. During the first half of that time period, 1990 to 2005, an average of 10,460 acres per year were developed; between 2005 to 2023, this rate decreased by more than half with an average of 5,328 acres per year developed in the region. Still, the developed land per capita in the region is 16% larger than it was in 1990, growing from 6,700 square feet per capita to 7,800 square feet per capita. This is the equivalent of the developed land per capita increasing from the size of seven-and-a-half pickleball courts to nine.
As of 2020, the most recent year of record for protected open space, the region has permanently preserved 633,200 acres of land. From 2004 to 2020, the total amount of protected land in the region increased by 211,100 acres, or 50%. At this rate of preserving around 13,200 acres per year, the region will fall about 100,000 acres short of the goal to preserve one million acres by 2040.
The region has been making strides in limiting development in open space and permanently protecting critical lands; however, as these figures show, the region is not on a trajectory to meet the Long-Range Plan’s goals around protected open space. For more details on land use trends in the region, go to the “How are we doing?” tab in the Land Consumption Indicator.
Want to download the data for your own use? Under each chart, find a link to the data in DVRPC’s Data Catalog. You can also explore other indicators in Tracking Progress, DVRPC’s interactive dashboard for exploring Greater Philadelphia’s progress toward the Connections 2050 regional Vision.