Rural jurisdictions that need growth will still be able to attract it. But those jobs and improved services would be more appropriately directed toward established towns and villages, and other designated centers. In addition, traditional rural industries, such as farming, forestry, tourism and fishing, which are often endangered by sprawl, will be protected. Finally, suffering urban areas can also find relief through redevelopment, and through the revitalization that naturally occurs as people rediscover towns and cities. The Chesapeake Bay region is becoming crowded.
More people live here today than ever before, and the numbers are projected to increase.
The manner in which we manage this growth will have a tremendous impact on the health of our communities and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. For decades, advocates of sprawl development have said that they are simply giving people what they want when they convert farms, fields, and forests into strip malls and housing developments far from established communities. They have spun a web of myths to make their case. When these myths influence policy, they result in more taxes, overcrowded schools, pollution, and traffic. All rights reserved.