Urban Sprawl, New Urbanism

Urban Sprawl, New Urbanism

A new revolution of thought has wage a war against low-density suburban growth or sprawl. But is sprawl really a problem? And could the proposed solutions do more harm than good? Sprawl typically conjures up images of strip malls and mega stores, traffic congestion, long commutes, lost open space, pollution, crowded schools, higher taxes, and the demise of downtown shopping areas. Activists throughout the country are fighting proposals to build new retail stores proposed by large chains like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and McDonald's. Control of suburban growth has emerged as a major issue in state and local governments. The war on sprawl is inspired by the New Urbanism or Smart Growth movement: the demand for better planning to achieve a vision of livable or sustainable communities.
The goals of the new urbanism movement encourage governments to build social capital and address the problems of urban sprawl. New urbanism is a way to develop public space; it is about design, and recognizes that our built environment influences the way we enjoy life and how people use their community.
Defining