|
 
      
|
 |
|
|
The Roots of Sprawl: Lifestyle Choices
One important, but often overlooked, cause of sprawl development is that many people want to get away from the "big city" and enjoy a country lifestyle on their own four, five, or ten acre piece of land. Unfortunately, as more and more people make this choice (while still expecting to receive urban-style municipal services) a sprawling, dispersed pattern of development results -- with all of the public costs this typically entails.
With an aging population enjoying increased leisure time -- along with the ease of travel provided
by America's extensive Interstate highway system -- many small "gateway" communities (especially those communities close to major national parks,
forests, and recreation areas) have faced growing development pressure. Edward McMahon, in his article "Gateway Communities" takes a look at how some of these communities have sought to combat sprawl (read excerpts from article; article can also be ordered & downloaded online).
Planning consultant Eben Fodor argues that people must take responsibility for their own actions: "Reconsider the fantasy of escaping to a 'rural lifestyle.' The notion of escaping the urban environment for some rural dream house is a major driving force or the sprawl we have today. A rural home combined with a city job is a recipe for disaster." From "Bringing Sprawl to a Crawl" (read other excerpts from article; article can also be ordered & downloaded online).
The two photos below, of homes only about 2,000 feet down the road from each other in a suburb of Burlington, Vermont, illustrate the difference between today's often highly land-consumptive residential housing versus comparable housing built in earlier times. Why do affluent homebuyers today often prefer huge lots?
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
to top of page