For nearly all of my adult life, I have lived in small towns or urban neighborhoods. But for the past two years, I have lived in sprawl. When I moved to Jacksonville two years ago, I moved to Mandarin, a basically suburban neighborhood about nine miles from downtown. As I looked for apartments in 2006, I noticed that in many ways, Mandarin is typical sprawl: our major commercial street (San Jose Boulevard) is as many as eight lanes in some places, and even most apartments are separated from San Jose’s commerce. [See http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net/c872477.html for my photos of Mandarin and other Jacksonville neighborhoods.] I thought Mandarin would be a typical suburb: homogenously white and upper-middle class.
Sprawl
An Italian View of U.S. Planning
An Italian city planner visits San Diego to analyze sprawl-fighting techniques first-hand.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Learning from my suburb
Wed, 06/11/2008 - 19:57
Killing Culs-de-Sac and Growing Smarter for Seniors
The senior population of Erie County, New York, is rising. A 2006 storm revealed difficulties in providing medical services to these seniors because of the sprawled out and cul-de-sac heavy development model. A bill seeks to make that model smarter.
ArtVoice
Unmaking the Problem of Suburbia
Though there is some resistance to change, many cities in North America have their sights on undoing the damage of the last 50 years of suburban development.
The Toronto Star
Vermont Passes Smart Growth, Affordable Housing Bill
The Vermont legislature passed a bill that encourages residential construction in village and town centers by offering tax credits and reducing permitting requirements. 20% of the homes and rental units must be affordable.
Barre Montpelier Times Argus Online
Young Author Writes About Human Impact of Sprawl
Gina Olszowski's first book focuses on the personal stories of rural residents impacted by sprawl.
The Beacon News
How to teach about sprawl
Wed, 05/28/2008 - 12:04
Today, I turned in my grades for my seminar on "Sprawl and the Law." It occurred to me that some readers of this blog might be academics, and might be interested on how one can teach a course on sprawl.
I began by defining the issue. As I pointed out in an earlier post (at http://www.planetizen.com/node/31063) the term "sprawl" has two common meanings: where we grow (city or suburb) and how we grow (pedestrian-friendly or automobile-dependent). Policies that affect the first type of "sprawl" need not affect the second (and vice versa).
Soon You Won't Be Able to 'Drive Until You Qualify'
High gas prices and slowing construction rates in exurban areas may mean that the era of "driving until you qualify" for affordable housing may be over soon.
California Planning & Development Report
UK 'Eco-Towns' May Encourage Sprawl
Plans for the construction of "eco-towns" in the UK have sparked protests from groups who argue that they will be too spread out and will encourage sprawl.
Telegraph
New Life for Ebenezer Howard's 'Garden City'
A campaign is underway in Wales to revive the "Garden City" concept, first brought to life in 1898. This time, supporters are claiming the radial, suburban plan is a sustainable alternative to cities.
Western Mail, Wales
Prices Plummeting in Far-Flung Suburbs
The areas hardest-hit by the subprime mortgage crisis are not just low-income and minority communities, but also outer-ring suburbs.
The Christian Science Monitor
Is New Urbanism A 'Last Gasp' Attempt to Reform Suburbanism?
Plans to bring New Urbanist designs into British Columbia will do little to stem suburban sprawl, according to this column from the Globe and Mail.
The Globe & Mail
The Sprawling Megapolitan Region of Utah
Sprawl is consuming small towns in Utah, and creating one of the largest megapolitan regions in the U.S.
Deseret Morning News
California Land Conservation Agreement Will Create Sprawl
A recent agreement between developers and environmental groups puts the conservationists in the unfortunate position of not being able to oppose a plan that is the epitome of sprawl, according this editorial.
The Los Angeles Times
Dirty Politics Keeping Sprawl Alive in Florida
This commentary claims that dirty politics have prevented Florida voters from being able to control sprawl in their communities.
The Orlando Sentinel
Redevelopment Induced Sprawl
In Kansas City, many tax increment financing zones are simply luring existing business to move and creating new sprawling development.
The Pitch
Sprawl Can Work, It Just Needs Fixing
If jobs and services are reoriented and public transport rethought, sprawling cities like Melbourne can mitigate the consequences of dwindling energy supplies, argues a recent column.
The Age
Agrarian Past Drives South Atlantic Sprawl
North Carolina bills itself as the "good growth state." But as North Carolina's population heads toward 10 million, the state's low-density pattern of development is straining the infrastructure.
California Planning & Development Report
Phoenix Takes a Green Turn
This article from Grist looks at the city of Phoenix as it teams with Arizona State University to shift the city's direction from endless sprawl to a smarter, more environmentally-conscious growth pattern.
Grist
Myth and Reality About European Sprawl
Tue, 05/13/2008 - 06:07
Some commentators argue that sprawl is an inevitable result of affluence, based on European development patterns. These pundits tell a simple story: European urban cores are losing population and becoming more automobile-dependent - just like American cities. So if Europe can’t beat sprawl, neither can America.
