Over the past 40 years, the landscape of Massachusetts has been transformed by new residential and commercial development. Eastern and southeastern Massachusetts have undergone the most change, but virtually every community in the Commonwealth has experienced rapid growth driven by economic and demographic factors.
Starting in 1991, Mass Audubon has analyzed these changes every five years using the most up-to-date technology and methods, providing conservationists, town planners, and agencies with information for planning and advocacy. The results are published in our Losing Ground reports.
Released in June 2014, Losing Ground: Planning for Resilience (Fifth Edition) reports on the pace and patterns of land development and land protection in Massachusetts between 2005 and 2013. Download the report.