Urban sprawl is associated with a number of ecological, economic and social effects. Some of these relate to people's desires, for example, to live in single-family homes with gardens. However, urban sprawl has detrimental and long-lasting effects. For example, urban sprawl contributes...

Europe is one of the most urbanised continents on earth, with approximately 75 % of its population living in urban areas. The urban future of Europe, however, is a matter of great concern. More than a quarter of the European Union's territory has now been directly given over to urban land use.