Sprawl is increasingly in the headlines of our newspapers, but what is it, and what do we do about it?

Definition of Sprawl:

Sprawl is auto-oriented development where all types of development are separated, usually by miles of road and seas of parking. Housing, shopping and jobs are all segregated and usually far from transit service or a town center, requiring people to drive several miles between destinations. We see sprawl mostly in our suburban communities that have developed over the past 20 years.

Impacts of Sprawl
We are now experiencing the real impacts of this sort of growth and development on our environment, communities, and quality of our life. This pattern of sprawling, auto-oriented development has taken a toll on air and water quality, open space and the amount of time people have to spend with their families.

Many communities are now asking questions about the relationship between sprawl development, transportation investments and their quality of life and seeking a better alternative - smart growth. One of the real opportunities to affect development patterns in the U.S. comes about because sprawl costs not just the environment and our sense of place, it also places an enormous fiscal burden on municipalities.

Read more about how Sprawl Costs Us All.

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