Land Use of Conflicts in Tulsa County, Oklahoma: Urban Expansion Vs. Petroleum Development

Date of Graduation

Fall 1988

Degree

Master of Science in Geospatial Sciences

Department

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Committee Chair

William Cheek

Abstract

The rapid outward expansion of America's metropolitan areas is causing land use conflicts to develop in previously rural regions. These conflicts are intensified when economically valuable natural resources occur in areas undergoing urban expansion. An example of this problem is found in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, where significant petroleum deposits are found in rapidly expanding suburban communities. This study focused on the southwest quadrant of Tulsa County, which contains the communities of Jenks, Bixby, and Glenpool. The goal of this study was to develop a recommended pattern of future land uses, based upon analyzing physical and economic variables, that wll permit urban expansion to continue without restricting the petroleum production potential of the study area. The study area was divided into a 160 acre grid cell system, and numerical scores were assigned to each grid cell, based upon their suitability for residential, commercial, or industrial land use. The results of this analysis showed that even though the variables considered in this study often imposed significant limitations of future urban development, the study area contains enough suitable undeveloped land to allow population growth to continue at a healthy pace. The methodology employed in this study can be a useful tool for planners who must make land use recommendations in urbanizing areas.

Subject Categories

Earth Sciences

Copyright

© Phillip L Pumphrey

Citation-only

Dissertation/Thesis

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