Urban sprawl is loosely defined as low-density residential, and sometimes commercial, development that is outside the borders of higher density urban centers. Urban sprawl communities are usually automobile-oriented as opposed to pedestrian-friendly. Planners, scholars, community activists and public officials all offer numerous possibilities as to the causes of urban sprawl.
Lack of Comprehensive Planning
The Planners Web Sprawl Guide suggests that small to no regional planning is one of the major causes of urban sprawl. If authorities in densely populated urban centers plan in isolation without consulting local communities, the end result is sometimes poorly planned developments on the outskirts of urban centers. Rather than bridging the present infrastructure and amenities of surrounding communities, these less densely populated areas often incur new people expenditures for infrastructure enhancements without regard to a regional plan or pooled resources. A regional plan would anticipate the increase of new areas and slowly execute the necessary planning initiatives to make a cohesive neighborhood.
Quick Population Growth
The Sierra Club notes that although population growth is only one cause of urban sprawl, it’s a major element. Rapid population growth is an especially large contributor to urban sprawl in the Western and Southern areas of the United States. A sharp increase in residents beyond the potential of nearby urban centers necessitates the introduction of new communities. As the regional population continues to increase, communities start to spread further and further away from town centers.
Subsidized Infrastructure Improvements
1 condition that encourages urban sprawl, in accordance with Towson University Center for Geographic Information Sciences, occurs when municipalities subsidize the cost of infrastructure such as streets and sewers to un- or under-developed places. Such an action incentivizes the production of communities out city centers without needing comprehensive plans or suggesting alternative development options.
Client Preferences
1 cause of urban sprawl that is hard to quantify is taste. Useful Community Development, a site dedicated to progressive urban planning, cites the desire for larger houses, more bedrooms and bigger lawns as among the causes of urban sprawl. Some people just prefer more space or more house square footage than what’s available or affordable in more crowded town centers.
