Working Paper #541
Nine Causes of Sprawl
Richard K. Green
Demographics Ethnic Factors Housing & Residential
Since the late 1990s, sprawl has become a leading public policy issue. The author presents nine important causes of sprawl that include: the rent gradient; demographic changes; growing affluence; car ownership; different levels of government services in suburbs and cities; racial discrimination; land assembly issues; federal income tax policy; and land use regulations. He concludes that if policy makers are truly concerned about the malignant underpinnings of sprawl-discrimination, fiscal zoning, transportation that imposes social costs, federal tax policy, and regulations that needlessly consume land for residential development-then they will deal with these causes directly.