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Changing Roles: WUI Professional Development Program 1

Fact Sheet 3.4Some Negative Effects of UrbanSprawl

Urban sprawl is characterized by unmanaged, widespread,linear growth. It is not only unattractive to most people, it isalso not sustainable.

As urban populations grow and more peoplewant privacy and greenspace, development willinevitably creep beyond city limits, creatingwildland-urban interface. If the developmentoccurs without consideration for infrastructure,commercial needs, efficient transportationoptions, or quality of life, it can degrade ratherthan enhance the community. Without consid-ering the potential consequences of new devel-opment and effectively planning to reduce neg-ative effects, communities end up with urbansprawl. Urban sprawl has been defined as “lowdensity development beyond the edge of serviceand employment, which separates where peoplelive from where they shop, work, recreate andeducate thus requiring cars to move betweenzones” (1000 Friends of Florida 2005).

Despite the attraction and the benefits of every-one having a lawn, trees, and a big house, peo-ple are beginning to recognize the negativeconsequences of this land development pattern.The negative effects that sprawl can have on acommunity, its people, and its resources helpdemonstrate why land-use planning is soimportant.

Ecological Effects of UrbanSprawl

Development plans that promote sprawl have anumber of consequences for local ecosystems(Luther 2005). Many hold true for any develop-ment in the wildland-urban interface.

• Destruction of wildlife habitat.

• Introduction of non-native invasive plantsand animals into natural areas.

• Increased human and pet exposure to dis-eases such as rabies and Lyme disease.

• Increased risks of water pollution from oiland gasoline washing off paved surfacesand from pesticides, lawn fertilizers, andother chemicals.

• Increased potential for flooding and soilerosion due to impervious surfaces such asconcrete or pavement.

• Decrease in groundwater for wells andirrigation caused by abundance of imper-vious surfaces.

• Increased risk to life and property fromwildfires.

Traffic is one side-effect of sprawl.

Written by Terri Mashour and Lauren McDonell, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida

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2 Land-Use Decisions

Fact Sheet 3.4

Social and Economic Effects ofUrban Sprawl

Urban sprawl can also negatively affect socialand economic conditions in communities inseveral ways (Luther 2005).

• Increased community costs for maintain-ing roads, school bus routes, sewers, andother services needed when businessesand residences are spread out.

• Ongoing increases in property taxes tomeet growing need for services, whichmay pressure rural landowners to sell todevelopers.

• Increased need for automobiles; increasednoise, traffic, pollution; reduced potentialfor bicycling and walking.

• Isolation of the young, poor, and elderlywho cannot drive or lack access to cars.

• Increased cost and difficulty of providingpublic transportation.

• Increased time needed for transportationreduces time available to spend with fami-ly and friends or contributing to the com-munity.

• Loss of agricultural and forestry jobs, andtraditional land practices.

• Reduction of rural character or communitysense of place.

• Increased ordinances that regulate log-ging, noise, or odors.

Research has shown that providing publicinfrastructure and services for sprawling, low-density subdivisions costs significantly morethan providing for the same number of housesin urban areas (1000 Friends of Florida 2005).One study found that compact growth with ahigh-density mixture of residential and com-mercial development consumed 45 percent lessland; and cost 25 percent less for roads, 15

percent less for utilities, 5 percent less forhousing, and 2 percent less for other publicexpenditures than sprawling development(Burchell and Listokin 1996). In the interfacethe choice is not whether or not to allow growthbut rather whether to choose planned oruncontrolled growth. With population growthand interface development increasing rapidlyin the South, the negative effects of urbansprawl need to be carefully considered and mit-igated through effective land-use planningstrategies.

Sprawl often depletes the sense of place or uniqueness of com-munities it occurs in.

References

1000 Friends of Florida. 2005. Website about1000 Friends of Florida,http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/(accessed August 9, 2005).

Burchell, R. W.; and D. Listokin. 1995. Land,Infrastructure, Housing Costs and Fiscal ImpactsAssociated with Growth: The Literature on theImpacts of Sprawl vs. Managed Growth.Cambridge MA: Lincoln Institute of LandPolicy.

Luther, T. 2005. “The Effects of Urban Sprawlon Forest Fragmentation and Parcelization.”Private Forest, http://www.privateforest.org/forest101/sprawl.htm (accessed August 9,2005).

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