Latham, James P.

A land use classification system was designed for use with aerial
photography in order to map four functional categories of land use in a
study area divided into four quadrants. The data were analyzed for their
spatial and functional relatedness to the operations of the Port of
Baltimore.
Where waterfront transshipment land use was dedicated to steel
manufacturing and petroleum storage, nearly all test-category land use
was located within two kilometers of the harbor in those quadrants. In
quadrants where it was engaged in the throughshipment of bulk, containerized,
and general cargo, test-category land use still occurred primarily
within two kilometers of the harbor, but was also distributed in large
numbers six kilometers inland of the harbor. The results support the
theory that the test-category land use is related to port activity, and
that changes in land use patterns are associated with changes in port
activity.

This study evaluates the influence that several geographic factors have
upon the public acquisition of beachfront lands. It demonstrates that
they have a continuing and very important impact upon efforts to establish
public beaches. Factors were analyzed to reveal differing aspects of
their influence upon such acquisition, and particularly how they differ in
various locations. The analyses illustrate spatial interrelationships that
exist among geographic factors relating to the beach lands: physiography,
patterns of settlement, political fragmentation, ownership, access, coastal
economics, groups and individuals, and governmental roles. The influence
of geographic principles are also illustrated by the study. It is demonstrated
that awareness of the geographic influences involved in a public
beach acquisition program could permit a more knowledgeable analysis of a
beach area; thereby contributing to the possibilities for a better program
and increased success in acquiring public beaches.

Delineating the rural-urban fringe around an urban area has importance
because much urban growth takes place on rural lands, often agricultural,
thus changing land use patterns. Characteristics of geographic phenomena
in this fringe area are analyzed and illustrated. This investigation
examines.the possibilities for geographically delineating with multi-spectral
imagery from ERTS-1 satellite the fringe zone of Delray Beach,
a coastal city in southeastern Florida. Experimental methodology interprets
land use categories from high-altitude color-infrared and ERTS-1
imagery. A closed-circuit television system demonstrates possibilities
for automatic analysis. Land use data were classified with automation
as the principal objective. Some filtering techniques were used for
image enhancement. Test results indicate that with sufficient ground
data acquisition and statistical computations the fringe zone can be
mapped using ERTS imagery as a data base.