Smart Growth Backlash: Property Rights

Farmers in Maryland want to sell their farms which are loosing money. The state, however, wants to stop sprawl.

1 minute read

June 18, 2001, 8:00 AM PDT

"The conflict, highlighted here in Woodbine, is being played out across America, as land-use planning is pitted against property rights. "What makes me the angriest are the people who want the farms to stay farms so they can drive by in their cars and say, 'Oh, that looks beautiful,' " says Breitenother's wife, Flo, a mild-mannered woman who runs a tidy house. "But really, farming just isn't in the cards for Carroll County."Maryland is a national leader in fighting urban sprawl, through a program called Smart Growth that tries to manage new development while rejuvenating city centers. Advocates of Smart Growth say uncontrolled suburban development, which mushroomed in the '70s, is economically irresponsible, socially destructive, and environmentally harmful. Thirteen other states have similar comprehensive programs, and the list is growing."

Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: Where urban sprawl has some backers

Monday, June 11, 2001 in The Christian Science Monitor

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