Sprawl appears to be decreasing in North America. That is, new development is adding to the share of gridded or connected streets in the street network. However, in other parts of the world, new development is increasingly taking the form of gated communities, cul-du-sacs, and other disconnected street network designs indicative of sprawl—so say the authors of a paper recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
sprawl
Compact, connected development patterns on the rise since mid-1990s
Low density, disconnected development patterns—or sprawl—peaked in the mid-1990s, then declined by as much as 9 percent in the following decades, according to a new analysis of street patterns published by the National Academy of Sciences.
Golden, CO, stands firm against Denver’s Beltway expansion
For decades, through the court system and political initiatives, the City has been able to block the expansion of the beltway, which is nearly a complete loop around Metro Denver. The question remains as to whether or not Golden should be applauded for their efforts or seen as obstructionists to regional progress.