INTRODUCTION
As large numbers of urban residents move out of cities, suburbs have seized the opportunity to embrace endless housing developments and strip malls with little long range planning. But uncontrolled sprawl presents more than just an “open space” problem, it also affects our quality of life and the health of all our communities – wealthy and lower-income, urban, rural, and suburban. Citizens pay for sprawl with longer commutes, higher taxes for infrastructure and public services, and fewer connections with neighbors. States have found effective solutions for sprawl by bringing together unlikely allies – municipal and county officials; environmentalists and farmers; community leaders and business people.

New homes replace farmland in Dallas County, Iowa, as suburbs of Clive and Waukee grow on the west side of Des Moines.

Photos courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

This website offers the tools necessary for you to combat sprawl in your state, including a legislative summary, talking points, press clips, a fact pack, links, and other background information.

We may have other useful materials on this subject which are not posted on our website. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call our office in Madison, WI at (608) 252-9800.

If you’ve used this site and found it helpful or, if you have suggestions about how it could be made more helpful, please let us know.
This package relies in large part on information provided by the Center for Policy Alternatives. 
This package was last updated on August 13, 2003.
State Environmental Resource Center
106 East Doty Street, Suite 200 § Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Phone: 608-252-9800 § Fax: 608-252-9828
Email: [email protected]