In terms of percent change in square miles of urbanized land, however, the Columbus area grew the fastest, increasing from 142.6 to 344.9 square miles, a 141.9-percent change. The most dramatic shift occurred in the Dayton area, which dropped from 4,013 to 2,243 persons per square mile, a 44.1-percent decline. Density decreased more gradually in the Cleveland urbanized area, a 14-percent decline, from 3,067 to 2,638 persons per square mile. Of the seven urbanized areas, Columbus was the most dense in 1990, with 2,740 persons per square mile, while Akron was the least dense, with 2,053. Ohio lost 4,258,827 acres in farms between 1959 and 1992, a rate of 10,755 acres per month, according to figures from the U.S. Census of Agriculture.
Trips are more frequent and longer as well.
In 1990, according to the plan, Ohioans averaged 3.1 trips per day, compared to 3.02 trips per day nationally. While average trip length nationally increased almost 10 percent from 1977 to 1990, from 8.3 miles to 9.1 miles, Ohio's average trip length for 1990 was even higher at 10.76 miles. 14 Promoting low density State investment decisions, of course, have influenced these changes, particularly in the area of transportation. As new freeways were added, interchanges constructed and arterial roads improved and upgraded, outlying areas began to take advantage of the increased traffic capacity by zoning large tracts of valuable farmland for low-density residential, retail centers, and industrial parks. As a result major shifts in population and employment began to occur. . .