Central Arizona Ranks Among Top Sprawl Areas

The Arizona Republic reports that Metro Phoenix ranked 12th among the nation's 20 most sprawling areas. According to a study called "Sprawl costs: Economic Impacts of Unchecked Development", that was prepared by the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University.

Los Angeles took the top spot, and Washington-Baltimore was number 2. The five-year study looked at population, job and development patterns in an area, then estimated how much fringe growth would cost people living there between 2000 and 2025.

The study suggests that Metro Phoenix could save $15 billion of its sprawl costs by shifting a quarter of its fringe building to infill development. More...