| In 1958, Lexington, Kentucky became the first city in the nation to implement a growth management strategy that defined the spatial limits of development by restricting access to public services. Now referred to as urban growth boundaries and urban service areas, the use of these containment policies are expanding. This study examines urban growth patterns in the Lexington, Kentucky Metropolitan Region between 1974 and 2000 using remotely sensed satellite images and GIS analysis. Satellite images from 1974 and 2000 were classified into urban/built-up, undeveloped, and water classes. The classified images were then subjected to a post-classification comparison to determine undeveloped to urban/built-up land conversion over the study period. Results of the study indicate that the region is growing internal to existing urban areas, much of the new development within Fayette County has been concentrated within the Urban Service Area, and that the rural character outside the boundary has been maintained. |
