H. Ken Cordell & Christine Overdevest, Principal Authors

This book is first an examination of the population, demographic, urban, rural, economic, leisure and recreation trends of the United States. It is a statistical story of change. Change that is flowing over time and over the landscape.

Second, this book is a story of the dynamics of place. A story of the geography and spatial characteristics of human change. Not only are we growing in numbers, and economically, we also are spreading upon and developing more of the landscape. In addition to telling the story of social change in the United States, we also use spatial analysis to help identify where this change intersects with our remaining natural land and water, public or private.