Atlanta Is The Most Sprawled Metro In U.S.

Thanks to a reputation for unchecked sprawl and growth, Atlanta is being used as an example of how not to managed growth.

1 minute read

August 8, 2001, 8:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"If the prototype of smart growth is Portland, Ore., Atlanta is exhibit A for urban sprawl. Other Southern cities that are experiencing population booms, such as Charlotte, Nashville and Birmingham, Ala., look at Atlanta for examples of what not to do when managing growth... Historically, Georgia has tried to solve its transportation problems by adding new roads. As a result, environmentalists said, the Atlanta area is among the most polluted in the country, a problem that has landed the state in court and provided the first legal test for national clean air laws."

Thanks to Congress on the New Urbanism

Tuesday, August 7, 2001 in The Chicago Tribune

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