Land Use on Cape Cod, 1951–1990

The maps onthis page show the rapid development on Cape Cod between 1951 and 1990. When compared with the 1951 map, the 1990 map of Cape Cod shows a dramatic increase in residential areas (yellow), as well as a marked disappearance of forest (light green) and agricultural land (dark blue). Land use data can be useful in estimating possible environmental exposures, both current and historical. An example of the latter would be researchers' use of historical land use to estimate potential exposure to pesticides. Researchers are also interested in identifying the variety of land uses that fall within the zone of contribution for a drinking water well.

This land use information was reconstructed from aerial photographs by the University of Massachusetts and is available in GIS format through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and MassGIS.