Sprawl Causing Inner City Problems

Suburban sprawl has been blamed for almost every social ill, with the most common accusations damning it for traffic congestion and the decline of the inner city. Sprawl can have a devastating impact on the poor and racial minorities who are often concentrated in inner city neighborhoods. Not only does sprawl lead to the dispersal of job opportunities, but it absorbs large amounts of government spending on new infrastructure which might otherwise be used to deal with inner city problems. In addition, sprawl may well sharpen racial segregation within metropolitan areas.