Urban Sprawl is low density, automobile dependent development beyond the edge of service and employment areas. Its effects are impacting the quality of life in every region of America, in our large cities and small towns. Since World War II, the American Dream has been a house in the suburbs, white picket fence, and two cars in the driveway. In recent years this dream has been abandoned. Recently the trend has been to develop farms and forests into developments or malls. The American Farmland Trust has reported that 70 percent of prime farmland is in the path of development.
Some of the downsides of Urban Sprawl are:
1. Loss of farmland
2. Loss of wildlife habitat
3. Increase tax burden
4. Increase of air pollution
5. Increase water use and pollution
6. Increase in energy consumption
7. Social Fragmentation
8. Loss of time
9. Increased private costs and risks
10. Loss of exercise
11. Noisy Surroundings
12. Tourism industry damage
Rural Flight is by definition the migratory patterns of people from rural areas into urban areas. This often occurs in a region following the industrialization of agriculture when fewer people are needed to bring the same amount of agriculture related services and industries are consolidated.
