Wikipedia has a thorough discussion of the term. The short definition is "Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses (e.g. stores and residential), and various design features that encourage car dependency."
Larger cities have attempted to slow down sprawl because it creates inefficiencies and additional costs for both the public and private sectors. It also creates unplanned growth adjacent to cities that eventually become socially and economically dysfunctional.
From the public standpoint, it is easier and less costly to provide essential services within smaller geographic areas. Similarly, it is less costly for citizens to commute to work, shopping or recreation within a dense urban setting.
In Central Missouri the availability of raw land at reasonable prices is a strong incentive to live in suburbs and even more remote areas that are primarily agricultural. This, combined with a more Southern or "country" heritage, prompts many of us to view a home in a farm or plantation setting as a mark of success and contentment.
But not everyone can afford "Three Acres and a John Deere." As a result, dense subdivisions have grown up adjacent to the city limits. One of the most densely populated areas in Cole County is not in a city: Westview Heights. This development is our own poster child for sprawl.
As housing stock in Westview Heights ages, and more properties are rented instead of being owner occupied, the area is in desperate need of urban supports like code enforcement, zoning and neighborhood law enforcement. This forces Cole County Government to replicate urban services that could be provided more efficiently and uniformly under Jefferson City's umbrella. Yet, annexation is resisted, not as result of economic considerations, but as a result of an attitude that is at the heart of sprawl -- the idea that if I am sufficiently distant from the urban core I am in "the country" and the pleasures of rural and agricultural life are at my doorstep. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Westview Heights has the worst of both worlds: urban density with its problems; and legal separation from the urban resources that could help alleviate the problems.
We have recently seen a slight reversal of this trend, evidenced by the demand for upper tier residential downtown. Younger citizens who stay in Jefferson City to begin careers seem more interested in an urban lifestyle than their parents. But the basic trends persist.
In large part, "Sprawl just happens." Even cities like Portland, a pioneer in utilization of an "urban grownth boundary," has seen only marginal results. Governmental controls are controversial, with critics arguing that an owner's right to use his land as he wishes is a fundamental right with a long tradition in America.
The upcoming posts on this topic will not advocate government controls. They will, however, discuss how Jefferson City and Cole County governments and other local institutions have, over time, created incentives encouraging urban sprawl; and they have, conversely, discouraged reinvestment in the urban core. I will argue that the city, county and school boards can address sprawl, and get more value out of precious tax dollars, by reconsidering fundamental tax, regulatory and planning policies.
Watch for Part 2 : How Jefferson City has encouraged sprawl.
High Street Beat is the personal weblog of John Landwehr, a partner at Cook Vetter Doerhoff & Landwehr and a former Mayor of Jefferson City. Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.