Sprawl
On defining "Sprawl"
Last week, I was busy trying to turn my paper on sprawl in Canada (available at http://works.bepress.com/lewyn/65/) into a speech. In my paper, I define sprawl in two ways: where we grow (measured by growth or decline of central cities, controlling for municipal annexations) and how we grow (measured by modal shares for cars and transit). As I was proofing, I asked myself: why these particular measurements? What presuppositions underlie defining sprawl based on, say, modal share as opposed to the growth of a urban area's land mass?
Sprawl is Driven By Our Collective Unconscious
Richey Piiparinen argues that Americans don't necessarily want sprawl, but they are driven by unconscious motives, fears and hopes that haven't been properly dealt with yet.
Subtle Changes in American Density
Density -- either high or low or somewhere in the middle -- is a key defining element of our cities. In this essay, Witold Rybczynski looks at the relative densities of U.S. cities and suggests that things may start to change subtly.
"You Can Call It Sprawl, Or You Can Call it Quality of Life"
That's Billy Burge of the Grand Parkway Association, referring to a plan in Houston, Texas to expand the city out into greenfields on the outskirts of the city.
Fighting Canadian Sprawl with TDRs
The TDR, or transfer of development rights, could be a way for Canadian cities to reduce the expansion of its sprawling cities, according to this piece.
Walk, Don't Drive, to the Real Estate Recovery
The New York Times, in a front page article, was startled to conclude that the housing market continued to suffer, because "buyers now demand something smaller, cheaper and, thanks to $4 a gallon gas, as close to their jobs as possible."
Sprawl, European Style
The U.S. often gets a bad rap for its sprawling suburbs and unplanned development, but Robert Kwolek notes that many European cities and other parts of the world aren't far behind.
Charleston Rejects Highway Expansion
Leaders in Charleston County have reversed course on a $500 million highway expansion plan, following public outcry.
Rezoning "Sprawleigh"
That's the nickname earned by Raleigh, North Carolina, due to its fast and unrestricted growth over the past decade. The city is planning an extensive rezoning for its 2030 plan, which TIME Magazine calls "ambitious".
Lack of Talent Driving Business From Michigan
The head of a patent law firm that employs 40 in suburban Detroit explains that his growing business may need to leave the state because it can't recruit talent to the region. Andrew Basile Jr. writes that the problem is "poor quality of place."
Rethinking the Houston Suburbs
Suburban areas are increasingly in the sights of planners and designers who are thinking of new ways to reform the sprawled out land use patterns. This interview looks at how those efforts relate to Houston.
St. Louis Loses People to Exurbs
St. Louis is reeling from the news that it lost 29,000 residents, or 8%, of its population since 2000. Bi-annual population estimates had led many to believe the city had finally turned a corner. Meanwhile, exurban counties posted 30+ percent growth.
In Charleston, an Affordable, Effective Alternative to a Freeway
A Charleston environmental group has suggested an alternative to a proposed expansion of Interstate 526 which solves the congestion problem with refinements to local streets and costs half the price.
Undoing a Sprawl-Inducing Rule in Florida
Planners in Jacksonville are getting behind plans to encourage more infill development by getting rid of an older rule that was seen to contribute to sprawl.
TTI's Urban Mobility Report Flawed, Says Critic
The Texas Transportation Institute just released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which is a standard reference in the road-building industry -- and is seriously flawed, says Joe Cortright.
The Unfortunate and Persistent Reality of Sprawl in Toronto
Sprawl is seen as an unfortunate reality in Toronto, and one that some fear it's too late to unwrite.
The Flood and the Sprawl of Brisbane
Devastating floods have inundated Brisbane, Australia. Some say the city's sprawling development pattern fueled the destruction.
Status Quo Sprawl Lives On in Fresno
The approval of a massive shopping center in Fresno, California, highlights the city's inability to move beyond its sprawl-centric tendencies, according to this piece from The Fresno Bee.
Saving the Suburbs
Grist talks with Galina Tachieva, author of Sprawl Repair Manual.
Highways And Labor Markets II
One accurate measurement can be more insightful than a thousand expert opinions. In a recent blog titled, Livability and All That, highway expert Alan Pisarski argues that highway-oriented transport systems are necessary for efficient consumer and labor markets.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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