Urban Sprawl

Definition

Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the surrounding rural land, leading to low-density development and increased reliance on automobiles. This phenomenon is often characterized by the spread of residential, commercial, and industrial properties into previously undeveloped spaces, creating a patchwork of urban and suburban environments that can have significant implications for land use, infrastructure, and community cohesion.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Urban sprawl is often driven by factors such as population growth, economic development, and the desire for larger living spaces away from city centers.
2. This phenomenon can lead to increased traffic congestion and longer commutes as people rely more on cars to travel between home and work.
3. Urban sprawl can strain local resources and infrastructure, making it challenging for cities to provide services like water, waste management, and public transportation efficiently.
4. Environmental concerns arise from urban sprawl, including loss of farmland, wildlife habitats, and increased air pollution due to higher vehicle emissions.
5. Policies promoting smart growth aim to curb urban sprawl by encouraging more sustainable land use practices and preserving green spaces.

Review Questions

• How does urban sprawl relate to the monocentric city model and what implications does this have for urban planning?
  • Urban sprawl challenges the monocentric city model, which suggests that cities are organized around a single central business district. As urban areas expand outward into suburban spaces, this model becomes less applicable, leading to decentralized growth patterns. Planners must adapt strategies to manage this growth effectively, focusing on mixed-use developments and public transportation to maintain accessibility and connectivity within sprawling regions.
• Analyze how bid rent theory helps explain the dynamics of urban sprawl in relation to land prices and location choices.
  • Bid rent theory posits that land users are willing to pay more for locations closer to the city center due to the accessibility it offers. However, as urban areas expand due to sprawl, the demand for land in outer areas increases. This shift can lead to rising land prices on the urban fringe, prompting developers to create low-density housing further out. Consequently, sprawl reflects a balance between individuals seeking affordable housing options in less densely populated areas while still grappling with transportation costs associated with longer commutes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of land value taxation as a tool for managing urban sprawl and promoting sustainable development.
  • Land value taxation can be an effective tool in managing urban sprawl by incentivizing efficient land use. By taxing the value of land rather than structures, property owners may be encouraged to develop vacant lots or underutilized properties within urban areas instead of expanding outward. This approach promotes higher density development, reduces reliance on cars, and preserves open spaces. Ultimately, implementing land value taxation can help create more sustainable urban environments while mitigating the negative impacts of sprawl.

Related terms

Zoning:

The regulation of land use by local governments, determining how land can be developed and what types of structures can be built in certain areas.

Smart Growth: An urban planning approach that seeks to create sustainable communities by promoting higher density development, mixed-use zoning, and public transportation.

Suburbanization: The process by which people move from urban areas to the outskirts or suburbs, leading to the growth of suburban communities and often associated with urban sprawl.