| Abstract: |
Landscape amenities can be scarce in places with large areas of open space.
Intensely farmed areas with high levels of monocropping and livestock
production are akin to developed open space areas and do not provide many
services in terms of landscape amenities. Open space in the form of farmland
is plentiful, but parks and their services are in short supply. This issue is
of particular importance for public policy because it is closely linked to the
impact of externalities caused by agricultural activities and to the indirect
effects of land use dynamics. This study looks at the impact of landscape
amenities on rural residential property values in five counties in North
Central Iowa using a hedonic pricing model based on geographic information
systems. The effect of cropland, pasture, forest, and developed land as land
uses surrounding the property is considered, as well as the impact of
proximity to recreational areas. The study also includes the effect of other
disamenities, such as livestock facilities and quarries, which can be
considered part of the developed open space and are a common feature of the
Iowa landscape. |