Urban Sprawl and Decline

Abstract

Urban sprawl has emerged as a popular and contentious issue, with increasingnumbers of calls for “growth management” and “smart growth.” But efforts to control real estate development collide with strongly held American values concerning property rights and home rule. Little change is the likely result. However, the related dynamic of urban decline is more amenable to change because political forces required for change are likely to strengthen as aged suburbs themselves face decline.