Sprawl-Related Planning Commissioners Journal Articles

Click on an article's title for more details about the article. Many of the articles can be ordered & downloaded online.

Most of the articles listed below are also available as part of our sprawl reprint collection.

Stopping Sprawl by Growing Smarter by Edward McMahon A look at several myths that have made it more difficult for us to come to grips with sprawl.

Schools & Sprawl: two articles by Tim Torma & Edward McMahon Schools are an important community asset, and represent one of the largest capital outlays many local governments make. Decisions about school construction and renovation have profound implications for towns, cities, and counties nationwide. Schools can also be a major contributor to sprawl. A look at trends and opportunities, impacts schools have, and the positive role planners and planning commissioners can play. Plus an extended sidebar by Barbara Kent Lawrence on what happens to communities when school doors close.

Two Perspectives on Sprawl: Bringing Sprawl to a Crawl, by Eben Fodor The Anti-Sprawl Mantra, by Wayne Lemmon Planning consultant Eben Fodor outlines six steps individuals and communities can take to combat sprawl, while planner and real estate economist Wayne Lemmon makes the case for low-density suburban development.

Current Planning Issues: Smart Growth by Greg Dale Greg Dale takes a look at two words that have been sweeping the nation: "smart growth" and asks, "what do they mean?"

Developing a Sewer Ordinance: One Town's Experience by Kate Lampton Designating areas where essential services, particularly sewer service, can be used is one of the opportunities local planners have to direct growth to locations that reinforce community goals. Planner Kate Lampton explores how her town developed a sewer allocation ordinance.

Putting Growth in its Place with Transfer of Development Rights by Rick Pruetz How transferable development rights can be used to help preserve environmentally sensitive areas, farmland, historic landmarks, and other important resources.

The Three Myths of Growth by Eben Fodor A critical look at whether more growth leads to improved public services and a better business climate.

Smart Growth: A View From Captol Hill by Senator James M. Jeffords U.S. Senator James M. Jeffords looks at recent Congressional initiatives designed to curb sprawl [published July 2000].

How to Mess Up a Town by James Howard Kunstler The way in which suburban sprawl and lack of good urban design have combined to assault the author's hometown of Saratoga Springs, New York.

Center-ing Our Suburbs by Richard Untermann How existing underutilized shopping areas can be converted into centers that provide a mix of commercial, office, and residential uses, as well as improved pedestrian and transit access.

Access Management: An Overview & Guide for Roadway Corridors by Elizabeth Humstone & Julie Campoli A review of how better strategies for managing access to roadways can lead to a more compact pattern of land development

Our Vanishing "Third Places" by Ray Oldenburg Informal neighborhood gathering places were, for many years, an integral part of our cities and towns. Since WWII they've been vanishing. An exploration of why "third places" are important to the health of communities.

"Open Space" Zoning: What It Is & Why It Works by Randall Arendt Conventional large-lot zoning has contributed to the consumption of vast amounts of open space and farmland. An exploration of one alternative: open space zoning.

Developing Brownfields, Not Greenfields by Craig Kasper, Mark Aumen, & PCJournal Editor Articles and information about the reuse of brownfields, land that sits vacant or underutilized because of environmental contamination. How brownfields redevelopment can help fight sprawl.

Metropolitan Pressure Points by Mayor William Johnson Mayor William Johnson of Rochester, New York, argues that it's time to abandon the myth of the self-sufficient municipality.

Single-Family-Only Zones by Laurence Gerckens An overview of the origins of single family zoning, and why it has led to a shortage of medium density zoning that would allow a wider range of housing options.

American Zoning & the Physical Isolation of Uses by Laurence Gerckens An overview of how zoning ordinances came to segregate residential, commercial and industrial zones.

Coping With Superstores by Constance Beaumont How planning commissioners can come to grips with superstore development and reach an outcome the community wants.

Gateway Communities by Edward McMahon A growing number of people are visiting or moving to the small cities and towns close to national parks and other scenic attractions. A look at how these "gateway" communities are coping.

Building on Common Ground by Joseph Molinaro An official of the National Association of Homebuilders argues that planners and developers should work together towards a better pattern of land development.

Sprawl is Like the Weather by Brent Thompson Sprawl and low density development are closely related, according to one Oregon planning commissioner.

Ten Events That Shaped the 20th Century American City by Laurence Gerckens Noted planning historian Laurence Gerckens reviews key events that have shaped our cities, including post WWII suburban housing and interstate highway system.

America's Joka-Machi by John Stilgoe Why the explosive growth in "secure" developments harkens back to medieval Japan's joka-machi or gated communities.

Planning & Conflict: The Story of Otaru, Japan by Kunio Yamaguchi How conflicts between growth and preservation were dealt with in one Japanese city.