New Sprawl Numbers from Rutgers and Cornell

Researchers at Smart Growth America and Rutgers and Cornell Universities have announced the results of the most

comprehensive study on sprawl ever undertaken. The research team created a sprawl index based on 22 measurable factors relating to residential density; neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services; strength of activity centers and downtown areas; and accessibility of the street networks. Of the 83 American metropolitan areas the team measured, Riverside-San Bernadino, California was diagnosed with the worst case of sprawl. Riverside is followed by Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Greenville, South Carolina. New York City and Jersey City are far and away the most compact cities, according to the study. The top five compact cities also include Providence, Rhode Island; San Francisco, California; and Honolulu, Hawaii. Supporting the claims of some anti-sprawl activists, the study also found congestion delay to be independent of the sprawl index of a city.