Many studies have measured and compared the sprawl of U.S. metropolitan areas. A recent study tracks the rate at which the same cities grew either less compact or more compact for the decade between 2000 and 2010.
Eric Jaffe shares the details of a new report by Reid Ewing and Shima Hamidi of the University of Utah that tracks the rate of sprawl for the largest 162 urbanized areas in the United States. According to Jaffe's telling, "Ewing and Hamidi scored the largest 162 U.S. urbanized areas on the Sprawl Index — or, if you're feeling optimistic, the Compactness Index — for 2010. (Urbanized areas reflect development better than fixed metro area boundaries do.) Then they applied the index to the same cities in 2000 to show the change over time."
Jaffe's coverage of the study includes maps and, most helpfully, graphs, which quantifies the rate of sprawl for urban areas around the country. The data reveals for instance, that the country's most compact area, San Francisco-Oakland, actually became less compact between 2000 and 2010. At the other end of the spectrum, the least compact city, Atlanta, became less compact still.
The article concludes by describing the possible policy implications of the study.
FULL STORY: The U.S. Cities That Sprawled the Most (and Least) Between 2000 and 2010
SPUR: The Bay Area Has A Sprawl Problem
SPUR states its case clearly by announcing, “We believe cities are the key to our future” at the opening of a new report called “SPUR’s Agenda for Change.”
A Detailed History of Atlanta's 'War on Density'
The Atlanta Studies website takes a deep dive into the history that produced the city of Atlanta as we know it today—and provides some suggestions on how to "correct some of its most atrocious attacks on the urban built environment."
Where Los Angeles Equals San Francisco's Density
Though the Los Angeles region is very dense, significant barriers to transit-oriented planning remain. Based on this analysis, the lack of a central urban core shouldn't be one of them.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
