Sprawl Defined

[monsoon]

[Neo]

Well, I suppose you COULD say that in the first picture sprawl looks pretty awesome! 8-) It was at least some very well thought out sprawl! I'd say there is a line between sprawl and non-sprawl a few miles from where the last dense vertical development is taking place. But then after sprawl gets to a certain point it creates some dense patches and causes things to once again go vertical unless someone wants to just out of the blue put a building in the middle of nowhere just because they can. Is sprawl really sprawl in this case? I mean when it gets so dense that things start to go vertical and it creates it's own mini-city.

[urbanguy]

Disgusting although sure they look cool from above especially the first cause of its crop circle like design but its disturbing you can tell that they are far from ammenities and so a car is a must to go shopping or dining etc instead of just being able to walk somewhere to enjoy those things. I would hate to live in any neighborhood like that its got to be boring and monotonous as hell.

[BrandonTO416]

Nice to view from the air - not a livable community by my standards.

[PghUSA]

Sprawl is slowly dying isn't it? look at Detroit, SF, Pittsburgh, ect. people are remodeling and refurbishing downtown areas because the price of that is now CHEAPER then the commute 150 miles away, the balance is shifting!

[Delta]

From Edward Scissorhands to The Stepford Wives...

I can see why "Utpoia" is thrown into the mix for the compendium....but to even think that the fabricated communities of such are actually Utopias sends shivers.

It is right in saying that 'sprawl' is not a new thing and the circumstances have changed....economic, technologic, soicologic...why live next to someone if there are 5 or 6 ways I can now remain in constant contact if I so desire? Or visit in 40 mins with my car or other means of transport? Who in their right mind would want to live next to their place of employment?

The pic "Car Glut" = creep out!

lol @ "Parsley Round The Pig":

[Allan]

Sprawl is slowly dying isn't it? look at Detroit, SF, Pittsburgh, ect. people are remodeling and refurbishing downtown areas because the price of that is now CHEAPER then the commute 150 miles away, the balance is shifting!

Detroit is sprawling just as fast now as it was 20 years ago. Sprawl has comsumed most of 900 square mile Oakland County just north of the city, all of 600 square mile Wayne county, and parts of St. Clair, Macomb, and Livingston Counties. A growing number of people are returning to the city, but that isn't stopping the city from sprawling more. The only way to stop sprawl in Detroit is to place urban growth boundaries as Portland has done, since there are no natural boundaries.

[wolverine]

Well, as long as it is out there....as in the desert. Those communities look cool from the sky. I suppose if these communities offered a great lifestyle in all aspects they would be great to live in. But honestly, I am a sprawl hater. I suppose that is because where I live, sprawl kills big cities, causes state deficits, and lack individualism. I suppose if these communities were near big cities, I would definitely despis them. Well, you can't blame people for living in them though. Housing is cheap, land is cheap, and they want to be able to drive their cars everywhere. Oh American society still has a lot to learn. Just wait when these communities go bad. Some of Detroit's suburbs are already getting major payback.

[BrandonTO416]

The problem today to a degree is suburbs being built outside inner ring suburbs from yesteryear that have turned into slums and have the identical problems of central cities in the late 1900's - fleeing tax base causes high taxes, promotes decay.

Apparently people haven't learned a lesson just yet overall. I assume suburbs will continue to be pushed even further out.

[G W North]

Sprawl is slowly dying isn't it? look at Detroit, SF, Pittsburgh, ect. people are remodeling and refurbishing downtown areas because the price of that is now CHEAPER then the commute 150 miles away, the balance is shifting!

A refurbished downtown doesn't mean that sprawl is slowing. Pittsburgh continues to consume more and more land even though the population is relatively stagnant.

[KCghettoboi]

looks like typical suburbia to me!...

[Guest donaltopablo]

I'm gonna rock the boat here. Some suburbia isn't all that bad. As mentioned, there are a number of factors that drive sprawl and suburban living. As I've said before, I myself am guility of that.

However, there is also a huge sect that are simply lemmings, whatever the trend is, they do it.

Here is my deal with Sprawl. There is responsible sprawl - and this covers the way single family homes are development, as well as the way people who own those places live, and there is irresponsible sprawl. You can look around the country and find examples easily of both, probably in your very own city. There are numerous neighborhoods, relatively dense and even walkable to stores or near the availability of mass transit. Responsible owners take advantage of these options, rather than driving everywhere. They also consider things like car pooling, short commutes, working from home to reduce car emissions, save on gas and costs. But then there are those who live 45 miles from work, drive high emissions gas guzzlers alone to work daily. They drive everywhere, even if the distance is walkable (I saw someone drive to visit a neighbor the other day, 2 houses down... come on).

The bottom line to my rant: Just as we joke about suburbia being "utopia", there are many people... including some of those same people who critize the suburbs, that know good and well that urban living is not always a utopia either. The big thing that I think is missing, is responsible use of our suburbs and our cities.