Special Section: The New American Land Rush

Land, as a physical quantity, seems almost changeless, altering shape only over aeons under the pressures of erosion and volcanic eruption. But the economic and social use that man makes of the land is changing as rapidly as anything in America. An enormous—and disruptive—land boom is grossly inflating prices; a new social attitude is replacing the old idea that a man could do with his property as he damn well pleased. In this special section TIME first examines the dimensions, causes and consequences of the new land rush, which far surpasses frontier land...