That's good, because the land use decisions we make now will control how Maine will look in the 21st century and beyond. Maine is ahead of the game, compared to much of the nation. Although we have made our share of land use mistakes, Maine's low population density and slow growth have left a legacy of compact community centers surrounded by rural beauty in much of the state. But slow growth also has meant a relatively poor economy. Now that greater prosperity is coming to many areas, we face the challenge of ensuring that the next wave of land use development is better planned, and that we preserve what we treasure.
Sprawl can happen in urban, suburban or rural settings.
It is the haphazard, low-density growth occurring outside our town centers that separates where we live from where we work, where we shop from where our children go to school, where we play from where we worship. It means we have to drive our cars more than we used to, or want to, on more crowded roads. Sprawl destroys town centers and interferes with civic involvement. It obliterates forests and farmland. It pollutes our air.