Documentary: The Sprawling Of America

"For the first fifty years of the twentieth century, American cities worked well. They were centers of business and commerce, magnets of opportunity open to all ethnic groups. But after World War II, the implementation of three major government programs-the Veterans Administration, the Federal Housing Administration, and the Interstate Highway System-changed our landscape. The programs split cities apart by abetting the flight of whites to suburbs, and put into motion a systematic cycle of disinvestment from cities, a cycle that continues today." The documentary is airing on selected public television stations in Michigan, and is also available for vieweing on the web or for purchase. Part one,Inner City Blues, deals with sprawl as a cause of urban decline. Asecondepisode, Fat of the Land, will explore the direction in which suburbsareheaded, and their impact on rural areas, agriculture, and small towns.Bothparts discuss needs and solutions, including the ways in which placeslikeGrand Rapids, Michigan; Gaithersburg, Maryland; Portland, Oregon; andMinneapolis are combating sprawl through regional planning, growthboundaries, and farmland preservation.