Feature: THE VIEW FROM THE WINDOW

Across Aflantic Canada a fine is slowly but steadily being drawn over the issue of urban sprawl. On one side is-the long-standing view of most but not all planners, environmentalists, urban politicians, farmers and forestry and tourism operators who think the trend is bad. On the other stand some rural landowners, ex urbanites and potential ex-urbanites, and some rural politicians whose conclusion is that this is a good trend.

The sprawl phenomenon, variously associated in this country with terms such as ribbon {or strip development, leapfrogging, and premature development has given rise to current statements curiously resembling that of the powerful U.S. Real Estate Corporation more than two decades ago. Its conclusion said: "... sprawl is the most expensive form of ... development in terms of economic costs, environmental costs, natural resource consumption, and many types of personal costs. ".

This issue has not gone away. In this Planners Pen feature, several authors explore the sprawl theme from the URBAN, the RURAL RESOURCE, the EX-URBAN and the RURAL NON-FARM points of view.

Atlantic Planners Institute

This page and all contents are produced by the Atlantic Planners Institute, an affiliate of the Canadian Institute of Planners.