Exurban Growth

Colorful wood buildings line wide asphalt street in West Virginia small town with misty hills in background.

The categorization conundrum of the American exurbs

Exurban counties exemplify the shortcomings of defining rural at the county level.

May 21, 2026 - Sarah Alexander Melotte

Las Vegas, Nevada

Cities in the South and West Keep Sprawling

New suburbs continue to expand into previously undeveloped areas, putting strain on local resources.

August 13, 2021 - The Washington Post

The San Pedro River where it passes through Saint David, south of Benson, Arizona.

Clean Water Rule's Repeal Could Have Consequences for Sprawling Development in Arizona

A recent decision by the Trump administration regarding the Waters of the United States Rule is changing the legal calculus of a plan to add 28,000 homes in the city of Benson, located southwest of Tucson.

September 24, 2019 - Arizona Republic

Arizona

28,000 Homes Planned for Desert Southeast of Tucson

A master planned community would add 70,000 new residents to a city of 5,000 located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Local and regional environmental groups don't think the environmental risks of the development have been properly considered.

September 9, 2019 - Arizona Public Media

The Villages, Florida

What Central Florida's Population Growth Reveals About U.S. Real Estate Trends

Big trends—a geographic shift back to the suburban and exurban areas and a "silver tsunami"—are apparent in population figures for two Florida locations.

April 24, 2019 - Curbed

Exurban California

California Growth Shows an Exurban Pattern

The "back to the city" narrative might make for good headlines, but an analysis of California's growth patterns tell a different story. Take San Diego County as an example.

May 15, 2017 - Voice of San Diego

Seattle & Mt. Rainier

Is Big City Growth Here to Stay?

In this opinion piece, Brookings demographer William H. Frey looks at three years of census data and discusses whether urban growth will stay through the decade or whether the U.S. will return to its traditional, post-War suburban growth patterns.

June 2, 2014 - Brookings

NYT Editorial Welcomes The End Of Sprawl

The NYT editorializes on the just-released April 2010-July 2011 census data that shows a notable slow-down in exurban growth as urban growth increased. Pointing to the problems that accompanied America's embrace of sprawl, they welcome the change.

April 11, 2012 - The New York Times - Editorial

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.