Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats ...LanduseFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchNottobeconfusedwithZoning.HabitatfragmentationcausedbynumerousroadsneartheIndianaDunesNationalLakeshoreLanduseinvolvesthemanagementandmodificationofnaturalenvironmentorwildernessintobuiltenvironmentsuchassettlementsandsemi-naturalhabitatssuchasarablefields,pastures,andmanagedwoods.Landusebyhumanshasalonghistory,firstemergingmorethan10thousandyearsago.[1]Italsohasbeendefinedas"thetotalofarrangements,activities,andinputsthatpeopleundertakeinacertainlandtype."[2]Contents1Regulation1.1UnitedStates2Environment3Urbangrowthboundaries4Seealso5References6ExternallinksRegulation[edit]AlandusemapofEurope—majornon-naturallandusesincludearablefarmland(yellow)andpasture(lightgreen).Landusepracticesvaryconsiderablyacrosstheworld.TheUnitedNations'FoodandAgricultureOrganizationWaterDevelopmentDivisionexplainsthat"Landuseconcernstheproductsand/orbenefitsobtainedfromuseofthelandaswellasthelandmanagementactions(activities)carriedoutbyhumanstoproducethoseproductsandbenefits."[3]Asoftheearly1990s,about13%oftheEarthwasconsideredarableland,with26%inpasture,32%forestsandwoodland,and1.5%urbanareas.Landchangemodelingcanbeusedtopredictandassessfutureshiftsinlanduse.AsAlbertGuttenberg(1959)wrotemanyyearsago,"'Landuse'isakeyterminthelanguageofcityplanning."[4]Commonly,politicaljurisdictionswillundertakeland-useplanningandregulatetheuseoflandinanattempttoavoidland-useconflicts.Landuseplansareimplementedthroughlanddivisionanduseordinancesandregulations,suchaszoningregulations.Managementconsultingfirmsandnon-governmentalorganizationswillfrequentlyseektoinfluencetheseregulationsbeforetheyarecodified.UnitedStates[edit]IncolonialAmerica,fewregulationswereoriginallyputintoplaceregardingtheusageofland.Associetyshiftedfromruraltourban,publiclandregulationbecameimportant,especiallyt