Sprawl Hell and Sprawl Heck

Last Friday, I was in two different suburban environments in Atlanta. Both are sprawl by any normal definition of the term - car-oriented environments where residential streets are separated from commerce, sidewalks are rare, and densities are low. But the two places are as different as sprawl and new urbanism.

2 minute read

September 21, 2008, 1:17 PM PDT

By Michael Lewyn @mlewyn



Last Friday, I was in two different suburban environments in
Atlanta. Both are sprawl by any normal definition of
the term - car-oriented environments where residential streets are separated from commerce, sidewalks are rare, and densities are low. But the two places are as different
as sprawl and new urbanism.

On the way into town, I prayed at a synagogue in Sandy Springs (an inner ring suburb) and then walked
along a residential street to a nearby commercial street Both the residential street and commercial
street were not very pedestrian-friendly: there were no sidewalks on the residential
street, and the commercial street was perhaps a couple of lanes too wide to be
truly comfortable for pedestrians.

But this area (or as I call it, "Sprawl Heck") has its
consolations. While the residential
street did lack sidewalks, it at least had lawns to walk on so I didn't have to
walk in the street most of the time (much like these streets from
neighboring Atlanta suburbs:

http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net/p14010326.html

and

http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net/p14010324.html )

Traffic calming measures kept Sprawl Heck cars
going relatively safe speeds. And even
though the residential streets don't connect very well to each other, they are
reasonably close to a commercial street with sidewalks and bus stops.

By contrast, I spent the rest of the weekend with family
members. They live in an area that I
would describe as "Sprawl Hell." In
Sprawl Hell, trees go right up to the street so there's no way to avoid walking
on the street. And on many of Sprawl
Hell's residential streets, traffic goes 40 mph. So in Sprawl Hell, walking can be pretty
dangerous.

(For some examples, see

http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net/p50930564.html

and

http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net/p50930560.html )

And the nearest commercial street, about a mile and a half
away, is a highway which also lacks sidewalks:

http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net/p50930562.html

In sum, not all car-oriented suburbs are equally bad. The mere addition of sidewalks, or some limits on
foliage near streets, can elevate a suburb from terrible to merely mediocre.


Michael Lewyn

Michael Lewyn is a professor at Touro University, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, in Long Island. His scholarship can be found at http://works.bepress.com/lewyn.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight