As development continues on the urban fringes, one person's sprawl becomes another person's backyard.
Sprawl from the perspective of the economist is the focus of two reportsissued by the California Senate Office of Research. "An Economist'sPerspective on Urban Sprawl, Part I: Defining Excessive Urbanization inCalifornia and Other Western States," develops a method for quantifying thedegree of sprawl in metropolitan areas. Researchers found data suggestingthat California sprawl is no better or worse than in other western statescan be misleading. Sprawl varies widely among regions in California, and bysome measures occurred in the majority of the state's 25 metropolitan areasduring the '80s and '90s. "An Economist's Perspective on Urban Sprawl, PartII: Influences of the 'Fiscalization of Land Use' and Urban-GrowthBoundaries" finds that fiscal considerations are driving many local land-usedecisions. Data show that local governments' quest for sales-tax revenuedrives urban sprawl and costs cities billions of dollars in retail business.Fringe areas are doing more business than their population growth, incomelevels and other economic factors would warrant.
Thanks to Dateline APA
FULL STORY: Defining Excessive Urbanization in California and Other Western States

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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