Landscape Change and Socioeconomic Trends in the Austin, Texas, Region

U.S. Geological Survey


1983	1991	1997	2000


Study Area and City of Austin	View of Study Area from Southeast to Northwest; Vertical Relief Exaggerated 10 Times

Denver, Colorado, USA

By Mark R. Feller, David J. Hester, Paul E. Martin, and Ben C. Sherrouse

Contact: David J. Hester; E-mail
Software: ArcGIS 9.1 Desktop, ArcGIS 3D Analyst, Excel 2003, and FRAGSTATS
Hardware: Dell PC
Printer: HP Designjet 3500cp
Data Source(s): City of Austin; Texas A&M University; Texas State Data Center; Texas Water Development Board; Texas Workforce Commission; University of Texas, Austin; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

This study investigates temporal trends from 1983 to 2000 for a portion of the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area as the scientific foundation to support future land-use and urban growth simulations. Temporal land-use and land-cover data formed the basis for visual and quantitative analysis of land-cover transitions and patterns of landscape change. Socioeconomic data provided quantitative indicators of factors that enable, sustain, and constrain the region’s urban growth rates and land-use patterns. Landscape change and socioeconomic trends take on an added significance given the region’s increasing dependency on the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer for municipal groundwater supply.

Planning and Engineering Maps

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