This paper examines the relative merits of compact cities or urban sprawl (suburban settlement patterns) as a spatial solution to environmental problems (such as climate control), automobile dependence, economic development, infrastructure costs and the quality of urban life

This paper examines the relative merits of compact cities or urban sprawl (suburban settlement patterns) as a spatial solution to environmental problems (such as climate control), automobile dependence, economic development, infrastructure costs and the quality of urban life.

Many local governments have reacted to sprawl by adopting urban containment policies to limit fringe growth and encourage core development. An alternative is to design impact fee programs that account for the higher costs of providing services to remote locations. Zone-based impact fee programs...