Suburban Sprawl: Private Decisions and Public Policy

by Wim Wiewel, Joseph J. Persky

Overview

Suburban Sprawl combines historical, political, economic, geographic, and urban planning analysis to provide the most comprehensive overview of why and how urban sprawl occurs. It shows that all previous attempts to pin the blame on one or two causes - "highway building" or "consumer preferences" - totally miss the complex and interwoven character of public policy and private interests in creating today's urban form. The authors have included the detailed analyses of expenditures which show that federal housing subsidies have contributed significantly to sprawl in the post-war period, as well as a comprehensive overview of policies that can be used to reduce sprawl or reduce its negative consequences. This book will inform the growing policy community involved in regionalism and the general urban policy community. It can also be assigned in undergraduate and graduate level classes in urban sociology, geography, urban politics, and urban planning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317459194
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/20/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	328
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Wim Wiewel (University of Illinois at Chicago), Joseph J Persky

Table of Contents

1. Public Works and Land Use Policies: The Importance of Public Infrastructure in Chicago's Metropolitan Development, 1830-1970, 2. Urban Land Cover Change in Northeastern Illinois: A Landsat View from 1972 to 1997, 3. Property Taxes, Schools, and Sprawl, 4. Land Use Planning Tools in Illinois: Preventing or Promoting Sprawl? 5. Transportation in the Chicago Metropolitan Region Since 1970, 6. Commercial Motor Carrier Operations in the Northeast Illinois Region: Impacts on Land Use Trends Since 1970, 7. The Role of Regional Planning Agencies in Suburban Deconcentration, 8. Housing Policy and Urban Sprawl in the Chicago Metropolitan Region, 9. Employment Subcenters and Subsequent Real Estate Development in Suburban Chicago, 10. High Technology Employment Concentration and Urban Sprawl in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, 11. The Impact of Federal and State Expenditures on Residential Land Absorption: A Quantitative Case Study - Chicago, 12. New Federal and State Policies for Metropolitan Equity

Editorial Reviews

Wiewel (urban planning and policy, U. of Illinois at Chicago) and Persky (economics, U. of Illinois at Chicago) present 12 contributions that assess the relative impact of federal and state policies on sprawl (or urban deconcentration) in Chicago. Introductory chapters explore the history of infrastructure development from 1830 to 1970 and present data on changes in land use over the past three decades. The rest of the materials deal with more theoretical arguments on explanatory factors. Factor s looked at include property taxes and schools, land use planning tools, transportation, housing policy, high technology employment, and federal spending and tax expenditures. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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