George Galster , an urban planning professor at Wayne State University, is looking at six dimensions of sprawl, including the density and concentration of housing in various areas. Rolf Pendall , of Cornell University, is using an Agriculture Department survey taken every five years that measures how much land on the fringe of metropolitans is being developed.
Some planners call for more roads as a way to ease traffic congestion.
Others say building or widening roads creates a bigger traffic mess and encourages even more development. Some advocate single-family houses on big lots. Others insist the solution is more apartments and small homes to accommodate more people on less land. Some say housing should be built close to mass transit and within walking distance of stores, schools and other services to get cars off the road. Others argue that Americans don t want to live in a more crowded urban setting or give up their cars.