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This study explores the impact of wind facilities on land values based on wind farm construction and land transaction datasets in China from 2005 to 2017. We implement a two-way fixed effects model to estimate the causal effects of the siting of wind farms on land prices. Our results show that the siting of wind farms significantly impacts land transaction prices. On average, land parcels located within 10 km of a wind farm enjoy a 4.78% price premium. However, land parcels located within 1 to 3 km of a wind farm experience depreciation, while lands located within 3 to 6 km of a wind turbine experience an increase on average. We further find that offshore wind farms are viewed more favorably by nearby residents compared to inland wind farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing markets, obtaining comparable evidence for real estate valuations is often challenging. Land Value Information Systems that aim to gather, store, handle, retrieve, and perform land-related data for lawful, organizational, and institutional decision-making processes, have been used in developed countries to address this issue. However, Sri Lanka lacks a comprehensive land value information system. Thus, this study aimed to examine the factors that contribute land value information systems to become a potential solution in addressing lack of property transaction data, focusing on the perception of property valuers in Sri Lanka. A structured questionnaire, unstructured interviews and discussions were used with 30 professional real estate valuers in both qualitative and quantitative methods, revealing a positive attitude towards adopting the system. The advantages of such systems were aligned with time saving, accessibility to up-to-date data, convenience, etc., while concerns included disrupting the valuation industry's monopoly and information security challenges. The contributing factors were identified under three main categories, technological factors, organizational factors and people factors. Study findings revealed that technological factors were ranked high as most impactful for the successfulness of a land value information system. While technological and organisational factors were deemed achievable during implementation, the study suggests additional efforts, such as establishing a help desk, conducting training programmes to address people-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the current Italian real estate market, estimates of the market value of rural properties are carried out by appraisers mainly using the single-parameter comparison procedure and, less frequently, the income capitalization method. To overcome problems of appraiser subjectivity and other issues related to these methods, and to gradually comply with real estate appraisal standards, this research paper aims to develop and validate a scientifically rigorous method. This article carries out a first attempt to apply the mixed approach based on the integration of Market Comparison Approach (MCA) and General Assessment System (GAS) to agricultural land, currently used only in the field of urban real estate appraisal. The study focuses on the first steps of this valuation procedure: choice of the parameters which characterise the market segment and identification of the land characteristics to be included in the procedure. These two steps are preparatory to the following phase concerning the estimate of marginal prices, which represents the core of the whole valuation procedure. In the current Italian real estate market, estimates of the market value of rural properties are carried out by appraisers mainly using the single-parameter comparison procedure and, less frequently, the income capitalization method. To overcome problems of appraiser subjectivity and other issues related to these methods, and to comply with real estate appraisal standards, this research paper aims to develop and validate a scientifically rigorous method. The Market Comparison Approach (MCA) is used as a starting point for a comparative multiparameter approach, which is currently only used in the field of urban real estate appraisal. This paper carries out a first attempt to apply the MCA to agricultural land, contributing an initial exploration of developing the proposed methodologies. Specifically, this paper reports the first steps that have been carried out in this line of research: choosing the parameters to identify the market segment; identifying the characteristics to include in the procedure for which to determine the respective marginal prices.

Land value patterns show very distinct spatial associations with accessibility to urban centralities and physical factors in a territory. However, predictions based on models of this structure can be highly uncertain, as the underlying data also may show clustering (thus allowing for better predictions in more densely sampled areas). An assessment of this uncertainty for land value extrapolations in the the San José Metropolitan Region of Costa Rica is presented, via conditional Gaussian simulation, and the determinants of this uncertainty were explored, to find spatial strengths and weaknesses in the modeling efforts. The E-Type prediction from the conditional Gaussian simulation was found to marginally improve on ordinary kriging methods and it also provided explicit uncertainty patterns, which are the inverse of the land value prediction. The estimated uncertainty was found to decrease with characteristics that identify suitability for urban land use (and thus higher land values).

In the current Italian real estate market, estimates of the market value of rural properties are carried out by appraisers mainly using the single-parameter comparison procedure and, less frequently, the income capitalization method. To overcome problems of appraiser subjectivity and other issues related to these methods, and to gradually comply with real estate appraisal standards, this research paper aims to develop and validate a scientifically rigorous method. This article carries out a first attempt to apply the mixed approach based on the integration of Market Comparison Approach (MCA) and General Assessment System (GAS) to agricultural land, currently used only in the field of urban real estate appraisal. The study focuses on the first steps of this valuation procedure: choice of the parameters which characterise the market segment and identification of the land characteristics to be included in the procedure. These two steps are preparatory to the following phase concerning the estimate of marginal prices, which represents the core of the whole valuation procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to analyze the factors influencing farmland value and the reasons for farmland sales in the eastern dry zone of Karnataka. The sample consists of 80 farmers, including 40 respondents from Bagepalli taluk (BTHL) considered under rural area and 40 respondents from Chikkaballapur taluk (CTUP) considered under urban area for the study. It was observed that the process of transformation in the study area has resulted in a doubling of farmland values every five years and particularly in the time interval of 2005 to 2010 land prices have increased more than three times in both rural and urban areas. In the BTHL, the land value has increased from Rs.0.23 lakhs per acre in the year 2000 to Rs.12.57 lakhs in the year 2020. And in the CTUP, the average land value was Rs.2.05 lakhs per acre in the year 2000 and it has increased to Rs.63.91 lakhs in 2020. To clear old debts, perform marriages, construction of the house and higher land values were identified as major influencing factors of farmland sales. To capitalize on current high farmland prices augmented sales of farmlands is observed in both rural and urban areas over the years. It is resulting in the marginalization of farm holdings putting their livelihoods at risk in the long run. Although there was large scale selling-buying of land, not complete giving-up of the land was observed in general. The nature of sale was observed to be voluntary in the BTHL but in the CTUP 12.50 per cent of respondents reported forced sales. The increase in the prices of the farmland over the years may have potential threat to farmlands and the livelihoods of farmers. Hence proper policies should be evolved for the protection of agricultural lands in the study area so that the livelihood of a large number of farmers can be safeguarded in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood services, property attributes, and their associated amenities have positive impacts on land and property values. This impact is estimated by the hedonic pricing model, which is considered an effective method used in previous studies for such evaluations. The study uses Geographical Information Science by digitizing the point of interest in the study area for spatial modeling of data collection points and multi-linear regression as a statistical analysis of hedonic measurements. The hedonic measurements include the data of structural, locational, environmental, and community attributes of a property at a given time and space at a walkable distance from the neighborhood for measuring proximity. The results of the study are represented through the summary of the regression model, which expresses the impact of every individual variable on the entire value of the property, and the appropriateness of the results is shown by values R, R2, and adjusted R2. The result of the study concluded that property characteristics are varied from location to location, and that is why it is difficult to measure the exact market values, particularly in areas that lack urban planning and heterogeneous data. Research on such burning issues is essential for sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land value capture refers to a range of methods utilised by public authorities to obtain a portion of the rise in land values from landowners. To enable both researchers and decision-makers to comprehensively assess the outcomes and effects of land value capture, evaluation frameworks are necessary. This special issue adopts four generic evaluation criteria as a framework for analysing the various land policy instruments: effectiveness, efficiency, justice and legitimacy. The opening editorial paper places this evaluation framework within the context of land value capture instruments and introduces the contributions to this special issue. The issue intends to show how studying land value capture policies based on explicit evaluation criteria can help their strategic application in diverse institutional settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project brief summarizes findings from a project aimed at addressing the question of "Is new rail transit associated with displacement of low-income residents in near-rail neighborhoods?" To address this question, the researchers used annual data on household locations and incomes from 1994 to 2012 to examine neighborhood income distributions and the pattern of residential moves by income in Los Angeles rail transit neighborhoods. The Los Angeles metropolitan area presents an ideal study area for analyzing transit-oriented development (TOD) and potential displacement. Since 1990, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) has opened 93 new rail-transit stations. An additional 17 are under construction.View the NCST Project Webpage

Rail transit and neighborhood compositional changes are becoming clearly linked in the public mind. Examples where rail transit has been associated, at least anecdotally, with neighborhood gentrification abound. In Washington, D.C., the Green and Yellow lines are associated with neighborhood transition north and east of downtown. In Los Angeles, the Gold, Expo, and Red/Purple lines have been associated with gentrification concerns (Zuk & Chapple, 2015a), and similar concerns have been raised regarding the soon-to-open Crenshaw Line. On balance, these same concerns are present in most large metropolitan areas that are building or expanding rail transit.Gentrification is a process of neighborhood change characterized by increasing housing prices and changing demographic and socioeconomic composition of the neighborhood. These components of gentrification are often mutually reinforcing: changing composition can further increase housing prices and vice versa. Prior studies have raised the concern that rail transit expansion catalyzes or exacerbates gentrification (Zuk et al., 2017; Rayle, 2015).This report seeks to shed light on this latter concern. It begins with a brief summary of the evidence from prior studies on both rail-related housing price increases and changing composition. It then introduces a newly available data source, which the authors use to examine the relationship between new rail transit station opening and neighborhood income composition. This report aims to determine whether a rail station opening in Los Angeles County is associated with the share and income composition of residents who move in and out of neighborhoods near that rail station. Specifically, the researchers address the following questions regarding gentrification and its tie to rail transit stations: (1) Who moves into rail-station neighborhoods and when? (2) Are higher income households growing as a share of station area population relative to lower-income households? (3) Do rail stations cause this phenomenon or is this happening regardless of the transit investment?View the NCST Project Webpage

The Land Cadastre, as an inventory of all relevant real estate in a territory, and most importantly, as a national tax system is, or at least should be, the protagonist of fiscal, social and civil implications affecting the Italian context. According to unitary farmland incomes, the last revision dates back to 1978-1979, a period that no longer reflects the country’s current socioeconomic situation and does not consider the changes the land market has undergone over the years. Through the analysis of 183 purchases and sales of agricultural land in two districts in western Sicily, this research aims at verifying the adequacy or inadequacy of the current cadastral tariffs. Based on the prices surveyed and the cadastral farmland incomes, some indicators were constructed showing, on the one hand the absence of a strict correspondence between these two values and on the other hand the actual presence of fiscal inequality for all the crop qualities examined; and, consequently, the need for revising cadastral tariffs or for reforming tax system of Italian Cadastre by replacing tariffs with market values.

Groundwater is a prime example of a common-pool resource subject to over-extraction and rent dissipation under open access. To avoid this, users can assign groundwater rights: a cap is set on the volume of groundwater that can be pumped annually, and rights are allocated among users. Although this process restricts pumping, it also improves long-term resource availability, grants a fungible asset that can be traded, and reduces uncertainty for urban developers. We investigate the effect on land values by exploiting a plausibly exogenous discontinuity in the definition of rights in the Mojave groundwater basin in California. Because both the long-term stream of agricultural rents and the value of tradable permits are capitalized into land value, spatial regression discontinuity designs identify the difference between the value of interior parcels with water rights and those of free riders on the exterior, who can drain from the regulated area with no restrictions. We find that the value of rights outweighs gains realized by free riders and that property rights increase land value by half. The large gains estimated here support the idea that the allocation of rights may be instrumental in convincing otherwise recalcitrant users to accept restrictions.

This paper examines the influence of distance to biorefinery plants on agricultural land value. The research utilizes micro-level data on characteristics of parcels and the locations of ethanol facilities in Central Nebraska, USA. I employ a theoretical model and an empirical hedonic approach to determine the effect of proximity. To address potential endogeneity, the econometric model adopts an instrumental variable. Estimates from the model provide evidence that land values significantly decrease as the distance from a parcel to a biorefinery plant increases. The results also reveal a non-linearity pattern in the model, with land prices falling at a decreasing rate with distance from ethanol plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood services, property attributes, and their associated amenities have positive impacts on land and property values. This impact is estimated by the hedonic pricing model, which is considered an effective method used in previous studies for such evaluations. The study uses Geographical Information Science by digitizing the point of interest in the study area for spatial modeling of data collection points and multi-linear regression as a statistical analysis of hedonic measurements. The hedonic measurements include the data of structural, locational, environmental, and community attributes of a property at a given time and space at a walkable distance from the neighborhood for measuring proximity. The results of the study are represented through the summary of the regression model, which expresses the impact of every individual variable on the entire value of the property, and the appropriateness of the results is shown by values R, R2, and adjusted R2. The result of the study concluded that property characteristics are varied from location to location, and that is why it is difficult to measure the exact market values, particularly in areas that lack urban planning and heterogeneous data. Research on such burning issues is essential for sustainable urban development.

The Land Cadastre, as an inventory of all relevant real estate in a territory, and most importantly, as a national tax system is, or at least should be, the protagonist of fiscal, social and civil implications affecting the Italian context. According to unitary farmland incomes, the last revision dates back to 1978-1979, a period that no longer reflects the country's current socioeconomic situation and does not consider the changes the land market has undergone over the years. Through the analysis of 183 purchases and sales of agricultural land in two districts in western Sicily, this research aims at verifying the adequacy or inadequacy of the current cadastral tariffs. Based on the prices surveyed and the cadastral farmland incomes, some indicators were constructed showing, on the one hand the absence of a strict correspondence between these two values and on the other hand the actual presence of fiscal inequality for all the crop qualities examined; and, consequently, the need for revising cadastral tariffs or for reforming tax system of Italian Cadastre by replacing tariffs with market values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of distance to biorefinery plants on agricultural land value. The research utilizes micro-level data on characteristics of parcels and the locations of ethanol facilities in Central Nebraska, USA. I employ a theoretical model and an empirical hedonic approach to determine the effect of proximity. To address potential endogeneity, the econometric model adopts an instrumental variable. Estimates from the model provide evidence that land values significantly decrease as the distance from a parcel to a biorefinery plant increases. The results also reveal a non-linearity pattern in the model, with land prices falling at a decreasing rate with distance from ethanol plants.

A strong need exists to increase the knowledge and recognize the values of neighborhood services. This paper makes an attempt to examine the impact of neighborhood services on land values, through analysis based on results obtained from multi linear regression analysis. This case study was done in area of dense urban settlement to check the consequence of neighborhood services through the hedonic pricing model base variables which include the structural, locational, community and neighborhood services. The regression coefficient was checked at (p < 0.05) level of significance for each variable. The primary data was collect through the questionnaire filling by random sampling and Punjab Urban Gazette was used for the verification of land values in study area. The results found a valuable potential on land and property values of neighborhood services through the regression analysis results express through R (0.926), R2 (0.856) and coefficient tables to represent the effect of each individual variable on property and land values. Every individual variable play role in defining the values of land and property based upon its utilization such as larger the structure of a property, more the covered area, larger size of a property more the land area higher price. Similarly, for locational factor study in geography, a piece of land adjacent to the road have high land values 50–70% compare to those located at distance. Very less attention has been paid on such issues in the world due to lack of effective urban planning and research on such crucial issues. If empirical studies on such issue has been done, effective way can be obtained for urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased credit availability facilitates land acquisition, but higher land values also hinder it. We investigate the impact of credit availability on land values, after regulatory changes in the lending system. We build an index of increased credit availability using Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation data. County-level panel fixed effects estimations are performed controlling for land value determinants, credit availability, and county-level macroeconomic factors. We find that estimating the effects of credit availability separately masks its total effect. Results show a 0.1 change in the index for increased credit availability is associated with 1.64–1.96% increase in land values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the capitalization of farm subsidies in Italy by relying on a novel approach based on the Grouped Fixed Effect (GFE) estimator. This methodology allows us to account for the regional unobserved time-varying determinants of the Italian land values. Results show that the elasticity of land price with respect to coupled and decoupled subsidies is below one. Particularly, for the latter payments, the degree of capitalization declines with decreasing competition in farmland markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper establishes the measure of the diachronic correlation between market values of the land and variables able to affect the mechanisms of price formation. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to process cartographic representations useful for visualizing the spatial distribution of data, which pertain to the vast area of the Province of Salerno (Italy). The analytical path starts from the collection of information and construction of the datasets, passes through the selection of parameters and for the processing of the maps and can establish quantitatively the levels of correlation between market values and territorial variables. Thus, it provides useful elements for future research, with the aim to generalize the functional relationships between agricultural land values and socio-economic variables through the writing of a value function.

We estimate the effects of utility-scale wind turbines on agricultural land values in Kansas using parcel-level transaction data from 2001 to 2017 in a hedonic price model. By matching transaction data and wind turbine data at the common land units scale, we are able to ascertain on-farm effects as well as near-farm effects. Across all our analyses, the preponderance of results suggests that wind turbines do not affect agricultural property values, either on-farm or nearby, in a statistically significant way. Thus, our results cannot confirm that wind turbines will increase land values when installed on a parcel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land values are important considerations for land use and development planning. Using data on land values recorded at the Government Valuation Department (Central regional office), this study investigated factors affecting land values of Kandy municipal area for the period 1980 to 2015, with a particular focus on testing the impact of zoning and archaeological regulations on land value. To derive inferences, we estimated hedonic-type models, which is a standard technique for analysis of land and property values, on a sample of 169 randomly selected land parcels in Kandy municipal area. Among the key findings, we observed that the impact of urban development zoning law on the value per perch was LKR 1,085,075 while the impact of archeo02logical regulation on the value was LKR 322,420 per perch within the municipal limits. Both zoning regulations and carpet road access created robustly positive impacts on land values, across several specifications including a model that included land values adjusted for inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities grow in layers over time. As population and land values increase, older, smaller buildings are replaced with higher density, higher value structures. However, direct costs of redevelopment and institutional barriers such as zoning may constrain replacement of older structures, leading to alternate forms of supply adjustment. In this paper, I use data on building permits in Washington DC to examine three different forms of residential investment: new construction, expansion of existing structures, and renovation. Results suggest that new construction accounts for a relatively small part of residential investment and is highly concentrated in a few neighborhoods. Expansions and alterations of existing structures are more frequent and more evenly dispersed across space. Recent increases in housing values are correlated with more new construction, but only among neighborhoods with relatively more permissive zoning. Additions and alterations are more prevalent in neighborhoods with high property values, older housing, and more restrictive zoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment Southland is setting water quality limits in Southland, New Zealand. It has been well-documented that restrictions on nutrient losses from dairy farms are likely to negatively impact on farm profitability. Less understood is the influence of these regulations on rural land values. Dairy land values have traditionally been driven, in part, by changes in profitability expectations, although lags exist. Therefore, there is a risk that the costs of implementing water quality limits will impact on rural land values. Farm systems modelling was used to investigate the cost of reducing nutrient losses. Present valuation methodology was then used to examine the potential impact of this cost on dairy farm land values. Results show that mitigating nutrient losses from dairy farms in Southland reduces operating profit, resulting in a reduction of land value. Modelling suggests a 20% reduction in nitrogen leaching reduced operating profit by 14% and land value by 17%. The 25th and 75th percentile for the reduction in operating profit was −17.2% and −10.5% respectively. The 25th and 75th percentile for the reduction in land value was −21.5% and −13.1% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most challenging projects that the new Metropolitan city of Naples is going to face, concerns the regeneration of the ex-industrial areas located in the eastern zone of the city, characterized by the presence of the port. Among the several reasons of the slowness in which the current program of urban regeneration proceed (NaplEst) is the generic identification of the demand for new functions in an area which plays a strategic role in the metropolitan context. The article, starting from an analysis of the land values in the space of the metropolitan city, wants to highlight their evolution. With specific reference to the peripheral areas, it is possible to catch new values, more significant with regard to the past, further confirmed by some investment choices aligned with the territorial dynamics. In this new and discontinued framework of land values, the logistic function for the regeneration of the retro-port areas seems a more realistic proposal, in accordance with the “State Plan of a first Intervention for the South industrial ports”.

• The paper analyses the conversion of traditional buildings into modern structures. • It examines the implications on understandings of gentrification and redevelopment. • A convoluted and conflicting roles of planning agencies and traditional authority. • Land values have appreciated due to increase economic activities. • It theorises 'land values' gap to understand gentrification and redevelopment. This paper examines gentrification and redevelopment in the context of an ongoing phenomenon of changing traditional residential land uses into modern multi-purpose commercial and mixed uses in the Central Business District (CBD) of Kumasi, Ghana. The paper explores the implications of such changes towards understandings of gentrification and redevelopment of Kumasi. Using physical surveys, institutional interviews, and in-depth interviews with property owners, the paper reveals a gradual disappearance of traditional buildings in Kumasi central. This process of land use conversion is characterised by increasing land values, and mixed commercial and residential uses in the CBD. Given the considerable influence of land values in determining land use changes, the paper proposes a 'land value' gap as a theory for understanding the dynamics of gentrification and redevelopment in Kumasi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Clark County, Nevada land auction data from the Bureau of Land Management, we find evidence that the price paid per acre of land initially increases, and then decreases with parcel size and find the price paid per acre to be maximized at approximately 14 acres. We also find that convexity exists on the value-size curve up to approximately 8 acres. We attribute this phenomenon partially to the fact that larger parcels are better suited towards commercial and mixed-use developments. A similar pattern is found for residential land, and can be attributed to the economies of scale developers would need when building tract housing. We also find some evidence that for large lot sizes (over 25 acres), price-per-acre seems relatively constant. Finally, we use this data to approximate difference in price between purchasing smaller contiguous lots and larger lots. In this setting, we find that the value of plottage (assembly) is about $60,000/acre which is the difference between assembling contiguous parcels versus purchasing the equivalent size parcel outright. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This replication study tests the repeatability of the study conducted by Adelaja and George (2019a) on the relation between Boko Haram related events of armed conflict and agricultural land use decisions. For the computational reproduction of the original results, we used the same datasets and the same methodological approach. Yet, our findings substantially deviate from the results in the original study. To test the robustness of our own results, we applied comprehensive robustness checks, such as using a different measure for armed conflict, including an additional survey wave of the GHS panel data, and applying two different timewise merging procedures. The results of the robustness checks were very sensitive to changes in the underlying data. Hence, we question the internal validity of the study's findings and argue that there is most likely a more general mismatch between the data, the methodology and the research questions. The bottom-line of this study is not that there are computable differences between Adelaja and George (2019a) and our estimations, but rather that caution should be taken in deriving policy implications from Adelaja and George (2019a) as their results lack internal validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a public policy, planning seeks to achieve politically defined policy objectives such as sustainable spatial development. To effectively attain these objectives, it is essential to consider the impact of planning decisions on land values. A comprehensive understanding of the connection between planning and land values is imperative for making well-informed choices regarding the management of land use and spatial development sustainably and responsibly. While instruments of planning law are intensively debated within the planning community, their implicit effects on land values are rarely considered. This study contributes to the field by demonstrating the crucial connection between planning-induced land value changes and value capture instruments in Switzerland. Our analysis shows significant value changes in the planning process. It connects these to redistributive instruments of the Swiss planning regime, which come into play to compensate for disproportionate planning-induced advantages or disadvantages of landowners. Due to the exceptionally significant change in value while zoning, which is present in Switzerland, there are remarkable redistributive instruments - both in terms of value increase (added value capture) and value decrease (compensation). Our study shows that knowledge of planning-related land value changes can help understand redistributive mechanisms, thereby contributing to best-practice debates. • The article demonstrates the crucial connection between planning-induced land value changes and value capture instruments in Switzerland. • Land value impact must be considered for well-informed and responsible planning decisions. • The article identifies redistributive instruments compensating for planning-induced advantages or disadvantages. • Insights into Swiss planning's unique redistributive mechanisms aid best-practice debates. • Model presented supports sustainable spatial development with defined objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural marginality is a multifaceted issue, being related to place-specific socioeconomic contexts and highly-variable technological conditions. The coexistence of different classification systems of these variables makes hard any attempt to have a general definition of agricultural marginality. Moreover, the spatially explicit identification of marginal lands is still challenging mostly due to the lack of reliable data sources at both country and regional scale. Accordingly, this paper evaluates the degree of economic marginality of agricultural land, using Italy as a representative case study for southern Europe. A spatial analysis of farmland profitability and constraints for agricultural activities (topography and biodiversity conservation) is proposed to identify three classes of agricultural land, namely ‘unsuitable’, ‘supramarginal’ and ‘marginal’ lands. Results show that almost 39% of agricultural land in Italy can be classified as ‘marginal'; its spatial distribution and characteristics are also analyzed and discussed in relation to different background conditions. The proposed approach provides a valuable methodology supporting land-use planning and decision-making under restricted geo-spatial data availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We established the statistical relationships between seasonal weather variables and average annual wheat yield (Hard Red Spring and Durum wheat: Triticum spp.) for the period of 1979–2016 for 296 rural municipalities (RMs) throughout six soil zones comprising the arable agricultural zone of Saskatchewan, Canada. Controlling climate variables were identified through Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis and used in stepwise regression to predict wheat yields in each RM. This analysis provided predictive regression equations and summary statistics at a fine spatial resolution, explaining up to 75% of the annual variance of wheat yield, in order to re-evaluate the climate factor rating in the arable land productivity model for the Saskatchewan Assessment and Management Agency (SAMA). Historical climate data (1885–2016) and Regional Climate Model (RCM) projections for the growing season (May–August) were also examined to put current climatic trends into longer-term perspective, as well as develop a better understanding of possible future climatic impacts on wheat yield in Saskatchewan. Historical trends demonstrate a decrease in maximum temperature and an increase in minimum temperature and precipitation throughout all soil zones. RCM projections also show a potential increase in temperatures and total precipitation by 5 °C and 10%, respectively. We recommended against a modification of the climate factor rating at this time because (1) any increase in wheat yield could not be attributed directly to the weather variables with the strongest trends, and (2) climate and wheat yield are changing more or less consistently across the zone of arable land, and one soil zone is not becoming more productive than another.