Longer commutes that steal time from family and work. Worsening air and water pollution. Loss of farmland, open fields, forests and wetlands. Sprawl erodes the city's tax base as people flock to the suburbs, forcing cities to raise taxes on remaining taxpayers to pay for city services. Sprawl destroys downtown commerce by pulling shoppers from once-thriving locally owned stores and restaurants to large regional malls.
Sprawl increases unemployment and concentrates poverty in urban centers.
Sprawl undercuts property values and investment opportunities. Sprawl robs cities of character as abandoned factories, boarded-up homes and decaying retail centers dominate the landscape.