BETA
Chapter 1
The blueprint of Levittown
Chapter 2
The invisible rules of zoning
Chapter 3
The anatomy of the cul-de-sac
Chapter 4
The cost of suburban sprawl
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why American suburbs look alike
Ch 4 · The cost of suburban sprawl
sloane Build sprawling cul-de-sacs to discover why low-density suburbs are so expensive to maintain.
sloane Suburban Sprawl's Hidden Costs
Single-use zoning, wide and far, / Cul-de-sacs, where most homes are, / Makes city budgets feel the scar.
sloane A modern design movement aims to bring back walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods with narrow streets and front porches.
sloane Suburbs lack third places like cafes and plazas where people can gather without spending money or planning ahead.
Fun Fact
Sprawl cost: Sprawling suburban developments require up to three times more water and sewer infrastructure per home than compact urban neighborhoods.
Glossary
suburban sprawl (noun)
The rapid, poorly planned spread of low-density development outward from an urban center. In 1999, Rhode Island analysts calculated that this growth pattern would cost taxpayers over one billion dollars.
The rapid, poorly planned spread of low-density development outward from an urban center. In 1999, Rhode Island analysts calculated that this growth pattern would cost taxpayers over one billion dollars.
Quiz
Which design movement, founded in the 1980s, advocates for walkable, mixed-use suburban neighborhoods?
Quiz
What major environmental resource is consumed at up to three times higher rates in low-density suburban homes?
Quiz
What is the name of the hybrid street layout that combines the quiet of cul-de-sacs with the connectivity of grids?
Quiz
What famous Florida resort town was built in the 1980s as a model for New Urbanist design?
Quiz
According to a 2015 study, how much does suburban sprawl cost the US economy annually?
Quiz
What term did sociologist Ray Oldenburg coin for social spaces like cafes and libraries that are neither home nor work?