Urban change 1992-2020

Over the past two decades, American cities have experienced remarkable growth and significant change. As the boundaries of our cities expand to accommodate a burgeoning population and its economic activities, they exert pressure on the surrounding environment.

Unchecked growth can result in the conversion of adjacent forest, grassland, and agricultural land into a sprawling urban landscape.

While difficult to perceive from the ground, satellite imagery can reveal these changes and help monitor long-term trends. Here, land cover in the greater Dallas area from 1992 (left) is compared to 2020 (right).