A Land-Consumption Model: Its Application to Israel's Future Spatial Development

This article presents the structure of the Land-Consumption (LC) Model that was constructed to evaluate Israel's land needs for future development as part of national planning efforts. Developed as part of the Israel 2020 master plan, the LC Model was a key methodological tool in the plan's preparation. The model incorporated variables derived from people's behavior and preferences that are dictated to a large extent by market forces, in conjunction with policy variables that are determined by the government. The LC Model is a comprehensive tool useful for land consumption planning in major urban systems. Where the need to estimate land consumption and its national application are crucial, the LC Model and the approach introduced here can serve as a productive example.