The trend has been seen in this country for most of this century. In the 1920s, a regional plan of the New York City area warned that farms were being eaten up by development, and encouraged renewed emphasis on the ''old village community.'' With sprawl development, houses are on large private lots. Sidewalks are rare. People use their cars to get everywhere, whether it's to work or to buy a loaf of bread. In contrast, non-sprawl neighborhoods are built next to other neighborhoods.
People can walk to the corner store.
To many, sprawl is attractive. It means cheaper land, privacy, country living, and an escape from the problems associated with cities. But it also gobbles up open land and proves costly for cities and towns - and ultimately, taxpayers. Residential sprawl is often followed by more sprawl. After sprawl neighborhoods are built, convenience stores, strip malls and office parks pop up to serve the new residents.