Money Talks—But to Whom? Financial Versus Nonmonetary Motivations in Land Use Decisions

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Abstract
Land use patterns have important environmental and social consequences. With a majority of U.S. land privately owned, understanding land use requires learning about land owners and how they make decisions. Land use research spans multiple social science disciplines, but past efforts have emphasized parcel owners who rely on their land for economic livelihood, focusing on financial motivations, or else policy tools relying on economic incentives thought to affect owner decision making. This article describes an in-depth study of 250 parcels in one Indiana county, providing a first step toward a parcel owner decision-making theory applicable across a broad range of activities. Interviews with parcel owners provide rich detail about factors affecting land use decisions, including differences in motivation between financial returns and nonmonetary benefits. While the latter are more often cited as motivating land use activities, their importance depends on several owner and parcel characteristics.

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