More than half of the remaining cultivated land in the Charleston region could be developed by the year 2030, according to a report prepared by Clemson University’s Strom Thurmond Institute.

The report states that while economic growth is not a problem, how the region accommodates that growth and how the different communities physically develop can be troubling.

Between 1973 and 1994, the region’s population increased 41%, but the amount of developed land, “the urban footprint,” went up 255%. An earlier Strom Thurmond Institute study indicated that if such a trend continues, the urban footprint will grow from about 160,000 acres in 1994 to more than 550,000 acres in 2030.

The three-county region, based on the available information, currently boasts about 65,000 acres of land in annual and perennial crops. Of this cultivated land, more than 37,000 acres lie within the envelope of the 2030 urban footprint.
Possible responses

The report states that while there is no “silver bullet” to protect rural communities and farming areas from poorly planned development, a combination of innovative planning tools can get the job done.

Over the next 30 years, the population of the Charleston-Berkeley-Dorchester area is predicted to grow by about 250,000 people, a 50% increase over current levels. Local governments and other public institutions can help identify specific areas to receive the bulk of this new growth. With such a framework of growth areas and rural districts, it would be possible to intelligently apply the range of available planning techniques.