Sprawl In Europe And America

Michael E. Lewyn, Florida Coastal School of Law

Abstract

The article discusses suburban sprawl (i.e., automobile-dependent suburban development) in Europe, and points out that some European cities have become less suburbanized and automobile-dependent in recent years: large European cities have gained population rather than losing people to their suburbs, while bus and train ridership has grown rather than shrinking. Pro-sprawl commentators argue that because Europe experienced considerable sprawl in the late 20th century, sprawl is inevitable in an affluent society; they reason that if European societies (which often combat sprawl more aggressively than does the United States) cannot stop sprawl, the United States certainly cannot do so. This essay rebuts that argument, by showing that Europe’s policies have been fairly successful in rolling back the tide of sprawl.