Those Pesky Sprawl Definitions

Defining "urban sprawl" is an apparent inconvenience but that doesn't stop growth control advocates from restricting housing choice.

1 minute read

January 17, 2002, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Local governments across the state are instituting restrictive growth controls to limit housing development, all in an effort to "control" urban sprawl. But, what is urban "sprawl"? Activist groups often comment on the term with platitudes, but few take the time to define it in a meaningful sense. Even reports on regional growth seem to take the term for granted. Citizens for Civic Renewal in Cincinnati, for example, commissioned a study on the region's growth that concludes with the claim its proposals offer a "distinct strategy for dealing with the sprawl problem." The study, however, doesn't explicitly define what urban sprawl is."

Thanks to George Passantino

Wednesday, January 16, 2002 in Reason Public Policy Institute

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