Costs and Future of Urban Sprawl Examined in New Book

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 21, 2002—Urban sprawl, or uneven spatial development in urban areas, is more than an aesthetic or environmental problem. It bears directly on issues of urban disinvestment, racial and gender inequality, and politics, according to Urban Sprawl: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses, a new book from the Urban Institute Press. Urban Sprawl, edited by Gregory Squires and with chapters by leading scholars in the field, analyzes the major causes and consequences of urban sprawl and discusses policy responses to its many challenges.

The book offers in one place the expertise of key national and local scholars working in this policy area. Squires, of George Washington University, discusses uneven development in metropolitan areas and lays the foundation for the book's multiple perspectives on urban sprawl. David Cieslewicz, of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, examines the environmental impact of sprawl. Paul Jargowsky, of the University of Texas at Dallas, draws links between sprawl, concentration of poverty, and urban inequality. john powell, of the Institute on Race and Poverty, argues that sprawl contributes to persistent racial inequality. Amy Helling, of Georgia State University, illustrates the impact of transportation, land use, and sprawl on low-income families. H.V. Savitch, of the University of Louisville, examines the link between federal policy and urban sprawl. Charles Jaret, of Georgia State University, discusses suburban expansion in Atlanta. Carl Abbot, of Portland State University, assesses sustainable development initiatives in Portland. Myron Orfield, of the University of Minnesota, connects politics and regionalism to sprawl. Wim Wiewel, Joseph Persky, and Kimberly Schaffer, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, evaluate revenue sharing initiatives in the Chicago region. James Cohen, of the University of Maryland, reviews Maryland's "Smart Growth" initiative. Jeffrey Henig, of George Washington University, discusses equity and the future politics of growth.

Urban Sprawl: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses offers fair housing advocates, environmentalists, land use planners, surburban employers and policymakers a comprehensive guide to a growing concern facing citizens and communities across the country.

Urban Sprawl: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses, edited by Gregory D. Squires, is available in paperback from the Urban Institute Press (6" x 9", 404 pages, ISBN 0-87766-709-8, $32.50). To order call (202) 261-5687 or toll-free 1-877-847-7377. The Urban Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research and education organization that examines the social, economic, and governance challenges facing the nation.

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