Sprawl Isn't Only In The Eye Of The Beholder

The Brookings study found that fast growing Western cities had less sprawl than cities elsewhere in the country, based on lower average population densities in metropolitan areas. Wassmer argues that density alone is an insufficient measurement of sprawl. Working as a consultant for the California Senate Office of Research, Wassmer studied business, growth and development patterns over time to develop a sprawl scorecard for California cities. His analyses focused on changes in central areas relative to entire regions. This method found that San Jose, often cited as example of sprawling growth, has retained population and retail sales in its central areas, though it lost farmland. Weintraub suggests that Wassmer's method may provide a more accurate measure of sprawl for California cities and provide a better picture of growth patterns over time than the Brookings Institution findings.