Suburban Sprawl, Jewish Law, and Jewish Values

Michael E. Lewyn, Southern Illinois University School of Law

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Published at 13 Southeastern Environmental Law Review 1 (2004).

Abstract

The article explains how automobile-dependent suburban sprawl is in conflict with Jewish law and Jewish values. This is so in three ways. First, Jewish law requires Jews to make the poor self-supporting- but suburban sprawl creates welfare dependency by making it impossible for poor people without cars to reach jobs in auto-dependent suburbs. Second, Jewish law requires Jews to walk rather than ride to services on holy days- but in most low-density suburbs, very few people can live within walking distance of a synagogue (or anything else for that matter). Third, Jewish law has traditionally discouraged development of rural land and closely regulated air pollution- but suburban sprawl creates both.