Can We Tame Sprawl?

The debate about "smart growth" shows no sign of subsiding. A new Brookings Institution study* has added fuel to the debate by suggesting through its findings that "smart growth" champions who advocate a return to denser forms of urban living may be fighting a losing battle. That also happens to be the conclusion of two respected observers. Anthony Downs, distinguished Brookings Institution urban analyst, contends that continued outward dispersal seems inevitable as the nation seeks to accommodate an expected 23 percent gain in US population by 2020. Matthew J. Kiefer, a land use attorney in Boston, argues that "smart growth" policies aimed at concentrating development in existing urban areas have not gained the political support necessary to cause meaningful changes in existing land use patterns.

Thanks to Chris Steins