Measuring Sprawl: The Best And Worst Cities

The product of three years of research, this comprehensive report ranks the impact of sprawl on 83 metropolitan areas. The study finds that sprawl leads to more driving, traffic deaths, and air pollution.

1 minute read

December 5, 2002, 9:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"Among the report’s findings: * More Driving. The daily distance driven per person is more than ten miles more in the most sprawling places than in the least sprawling, adding up to 40 more miles of automobile travel each day for a family of four.* More Traffic Deaths. The ten most sprawling places average 15 traffic deaths for every 100,000 people, while the least sprawling average 10.7 deaths per 100,000.* More Air Pollution. Ozone pollution levels are as much as 41 parts per billion higher in the most sprawling areas, which can mean the difference between safe, “code green” air quality and “code red” air quality." [Includes a ranking table for metro areas, an executive summary , and text of the entire report]

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Tuesday, December 3, 2002 in Smart Growth America

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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