Knowra Urban sprawl Urban sprawl Urban sprawl is the expansion of urban development into surrounding rural or undeveloped land, often marked by low density, separated land uses, and car dependence.
Land-use planning : The public and private decisions that shape how land is developed and used. Zoning and infrastructure decisions can channel growth outward or contain it.
Habitat fragmentation : The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches, often by human land use. Development at the urban fringe can split natural areas and disrupt wildlife movement.
Smart growth : A planning approach that directs development toward compact, connected, and resource-conscious communities. It seeks to manage growth without the dispersed pattern associated with sprawl.
Los Angeles : A large city in Southern California and the center of an extensive metropolitan region. Its dispersed urban form is frequently used to illustrate car-oriented metropolitan growth.
Zoning : Rules that regulate the permitted uses, density, and form of development on land. Low-density zoning can require large lots and separate homes from jobs and shops.
Land consumption : The conversion of land to human uses that reduces its availability for other purposes. Sprawl converts rural and undeveloped land into roads, housing, and commercial sites.
Compact city : An urban form characterized by relatively high density, mixed uses, and short distances between destinations. Its concentrated development pattern differs from low-density outward expansion.
Atlanta metropolitan area : The metropolitan region centered on Atlanta, Georgia, spanning a broad area of the southeastern United States. Its rapid outward growth has made it a prominent case in debates about sprawl.
Automobile dependence : A condition in which daily activities rely heavily on private cars because alternatives are limited or impractical. Car-oriented access allows development to spread farther from urban centers.
Traffic congestion : Slower or irregular traffic flow caused when demand approaches or exceeds road capacity. Longer car-dependent trips can increase traffic on roads connecting suburbs to urban centers.
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