While it is far too early to tell what the effect of COVID-19 on growth and development will be within the Northwest Indiana region, the development trend, particularly for residential uses, had already been shifting away from the more historically urban portions of the region. NIRPC obtained the new release of the 2016 land cover data and performed an analysis and comparison of the region's growth pattern and urbanization from 1992-2016. The data indicates that over that time frame, the amount of developed land used for residential, commercial, recreational, and industrial uses increased by 89% (103,370 acres), which is about 161 sq. miles. While the area dedicated to open space decreased by 17% (55,264 acres), about 86 sq. miles.
However, the agricultural land increased by 0.2% (953 acres), about 1.5 sq. miles. This increase happened between 2006 and 2011 and the majority of the increase was specifically in LaPorte County. But it decreased yet again by 1,334 acres between 2011 and 2016. While the amount of developed land dramatically increased during this time period, during a nearly comparable time period from 1990 to 2016, the population of the region only increased by 2%.
These trends have important implications for the future of the region. Clearly, land consumption is occurring at a disproportionate rate to population growth, and this pattern of growth is consuming the region’s open space and agricultural lands.