[wewereright]

Let's give this some additional thought. It not really about sprawl its about the free market and choices. Communities typically don't allow dense develepment even though a sizable segment of the population would prefer it. Suburban government planners have subverted the natural market for this housing style. It just like someone in the government saying everyone must drive a single type of car - or excluding SUV's when many people want to buy them.

[jayef]

I've found that for most of these leftists the real issue is aesthetics. They don't like sprawl because it offends their urban, or in most cases, urban wannabe sensibilities. It's a catchphrase with little or no scientific basis.

[Lorianne]

Good post and absolutely right. What's wrong with having well planned walkable communities? Those who don't want to live in them don't have to!

[sphinx]

It not really about sprawl its about the free market and choices. Communities typically don't allow dense develepment even though a sizable segment of the population would prefer it. Suburban government planners have subverted the natural market for this housing style.

Add in subsidies for road building and suburban water and sewer projects, including the use of eminent domain. Cities used to grow organically, through street extensions and gradual expansion of existing neighborhoods to take maximum advantage of existing infrastructure. Today, large state and federal bureaucracies pave the way for sprawl as we've shifted the infrastructure costs up the chain. Without those subsidies, development would tend to be much more compact.