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Solutions To Sprawl Are Spreadout But Not Widespread

A reconstruction of the growth of Baltimore,
Maryland, over the last 200 years. The U.S.
Geological Survey used historical records as
well as Landsat satellite data to create this
sequence.

There are lot of elements that are affected by sprawl – unchecked and unplanned gowth. I would have thought that more solutions would be made apparent as funding filled cities coffers from tax revenues. Here are a collection of relatively random thoughts about urban sprawl and how it impacts housing:

NASA



In an unusually large planned [suburb that will take 50 years to build [boxtank]](http://www.theboxtank.com/walmartbox/2006/04/cnn_features_a_.html) in near the Great Salt Lake…

which will stretch over 20 miles and accomodate 162,800 homes and 500,000 people in a string of walkable communities that will take over 50 years to build. The development lies on the largest privately owned tract of land (144 square miles) in the United States that is near a major metropolis. The owner of the land, Kennecott Utah Copper Corp., created Kennecott Land to oversee the development of the surplus mining land it owned along the Oquirrh mountains into a string of communities emphasizing sustainable development practices.

See the [full CNN story](http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/07/new.town.ap/index.html)

Managing sprawl is difficult as multiple municipalities are impacted. Leadership and an agreeable strategy for all sides are seldom clear. In fact, with all the discussion about sprawl, I find straightforward solutions rare because each situation is unique and it takes immense planning, vision and funding.

Now that the housing boom is essentially over (unprecedented growth in housing development and prices), I think urban planning advocates missed a great opportunity.

_Previous related posts_
[Thomas Jefferson: The Founding Father Of Sprawl? [Matrix]](http://matrix.millersamuel.com/?p=425) [Sprawled In The Suburbs, There Is Hope For The New-Urbanist [Matrix]](http://matrix.millersamuel.com/?p=381)
[Creative Brain Drain Weakens Long Term Urban Revitalization [Matrix]](http://matrix.millersamuel.com/?p=286)
[Development Is Goin’ Down…town [Matrix]](http://matrix.millersamuel.com/?p=235)