They're greening New Jersey again, at least in ambitions. Sprawl, they seem to say, has had its time. And they're giving the rest of the country something to build on. Sprawl eats up our open space. It creates traffic jams that boggle the mind and pollute the air.
Sprawl can make one feel downright claustrophobic about our future . . .
Also, too many towns bend over backwards to pursue development, hoping it will help balance their budgets. In the process, they strain not only their backs but also the services needed to support this development. The literature of sprawl has flourished over the last few years. Next week, Pierre Tristam travels to Pennsylvania, where he visits the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.