Urban Sprawl: Which U.S. City Sprawls the Most?

Summary

Urban sprawl is a complex and hard-to-define phenomenon, often marked by low-density, car-dependent development with separate residential, commercial, and industrial zones. While various studies use different methods to measure sprawl, they often highlight cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, and Dallas-Fort Worth for their sprawling characteristics. However, determining which city sprawls the most is challenging due to the varying definitions and metrics used. The video explores these complexities, showing how different studies yield different results based on their definitions and measurement approaches, and reminds viewers to critically examine how sprawl is defined in various reports.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sprawl is defined by low-density, single-purpose zoning, and a reliance on cars rather than public transport or walking.
• 😀 Urban sprawl leads to inefficient and unsustainable city growth, often creating disconnected communities with poor access to services.
• 😀 Key metrics for measuring sprawl include residential density, land-use mix, and street accessibility.
• 😀 Residential density is commonly measured by persons per square mile, showing how populated or spread out an area is.
• 😀 A city’s land-use mix indicates how much integration exists between residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Sprawling cities tend to have these uses separated.
• 😀 Auto-dependency in sprawling areas is measured by factors such as block size and intersection density, with sprawling areas having larger blocks and fewer intersections.
• 😀 Different definitions and metrics for sprawl can lead to different conclusions about which cities are the most sprawling.
• 😀 A 2003 study highlighted cities like Atlanta, Greensboro, and Riverside as some of the most sprawling in the U.S.
• 😀 Other studies, including one based on nighttime satellite imagery, found that non-coastal metro areas like Dallas-Fort Worth and St. Louis have higher levels of sprawl than coastal cities.
• 😀 Sprawl is difficult to measure universally because researchers use different metrics and definitions, which affect the rankings of sprawling cities.
• 😀 When reading about sprawl rankings, it’s important to understand the methods and definitions used, as small changes can greatly impact the results.

Q & A

What is urban sprawl, and why is it difficult to define?

Urban sprawl refers to the spread of low-density, auto-dependent development, often characterized by residential subdivisions, strip malls, and clogged streets. It's difficult to define because it lacks a single, universally accepted definition, and various experts highlight different aspects such as low density, single-purpose zoning, and auto-dependence.

What are some common indicators of urban sprawl?

Common indicators of urban sprawl include strip malls, residential subdivisions, large parking lots, and street patterns that prioritize cars over pedestrians. These features contribute to a fragmented, low-density development pattern.

How do experts define urban sprawl?

Experts, like urban historian Delores Hayden, define sprawl as a form of development that involves low-density construction, separate land uses (such as residential, commercial, and industrial), and locations far from public services and infrastructure.

What is the most common way to measure residential density?

The most common measure of residential density is persons per square mile or another unit of area. Researchers often map the density across census tracts or blocks to show variations between city centers and suburbs.

What metrics are used to measure the mix of land uses in a city?

To measure land use mix, researchers may examine the percentage of residents living near businesses, shopping centers, schools, or other institutions. A lack of nearby amenities is a common feature of sprawling areas.

How do researchers measure a city's auto-dependence?

Auto-dependence is often measured by analyzing a city's street network. Researchers focus on the average block size and the number of intersections per mile, with sprawling areas tending to have larger blocks and fewer intersections.

Why is it difficult to determine which city sprawls the most?

Determining the city with the most sprawl is difficult because there is no single, universally agreed-upon definition of sprawl, and multiple metrics can be used to measure it. Different studies may produce varying results based on how sprawl is defined and measured.

What does a 2003 study on sprawl reveal about American cities?

The 2003 study found that cities like Atlanta, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Riverside-San Bernardino scored high on various sprawl metrics, including residential density, land use mix, and street accessibility.

What is the significance of using nighttime satellite photos in measuring sprawl?

Nighttime satellite photos can help researchers analyze the extent of a metropolitan area's sprawl by comparing light emissions to population density. This method has shown that non-coastal cities like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Dallas-Fort Worth, and St. Louis tend to have higher levels of sprawl compared to coastal cities.

How has urban sprawl changed in cities like Oklahoma City, Austin, and San Antonio?

A 2017 study found that cities like Oklahoma City, Austin, and San Antonio have been becoming less dense at a faster rate than other metro areas, suggesting that sprawl is increasing in these regions.