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- Info
The evolution of the sprawl debate in the United States
| Author: |
Burchell, Robert W.; Shad, Naveed A. |
| Date: |
1999 |
| Periodical: |
Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy |
| Abstract: |
In sum, the majority of the American public is not unhappy with the current pattern of development in metropolitan areas - it simply can no longer afford it. Thus, the primary concern about sprawl development, at a time when the average American is satisfied with its outcome, is cost. And costs need to be measured not just in terms of capital improvement but also in terms of resource depletion. Land in the United States is being consumed at triple the rate of household formation; automobile use is growing twice as fast as the population; and prime agricultural land, forests, and fragile lands encompassing natural habitats are decreasing at comparable reciprocal rates. |
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