Urban Sprawl

Imagine you're flying over a sprawling cityscape. What type of housing do you most commonly see spreading out into the suburbs?

• Condos/Condominiums

• Single family houses

• Apartments

• Townhouses

Answer explanation

Single family houses are most commonly associated with urban sprawl because they require more land and contribute to the spread of development.

Houses are ______ affordable in areas created by urban sprawl.

• Less

• More

Answer explanation

Houses are more affordable in areas created by urban sprawl because they are further away from the city, which tends to have very expensive housing.

What are common environmental concerns associated with urban sprawl?

• Increased air pollution

• Decreased water pollution

• Improved soil quality

• Reduction in wildlife habitats

Answer explanation

Urban sprawl often leads to increased air pollution because it causes people to drive more and for longer, and reduction in wildlife habitats because habitats are demolished to make way for development.

Which mode of transportation is typically more prevalent in areas with urban sprawl?

• Helicopters

• Public transit

• Walking

• Cars

Answer explanation

In areas with urban sprawl, cars are typically more prevalent as a mode of transportation due to the need to travel longer distances and lack of efficient public transit options.

Urban sprawl often leads to the development of _________

• Nature reserves

• Local farmers markets

• Strip malls and big box retail stores

• Parks

Answer explanation

Urban sprawl often leads to the development of strip malls and big box retail stores because of their convenience, which contribute to the expansion of commercial areas and the decline of natural spaces.

Imagine a bustling city expanding far and wide into rural areas. This urban sprawl reduces the land available for ___________

• Housing

• Industry

• Businesses

• Agriculture

Answer explanation

Urban sprawl reduces land available for agriculture because that land is instead used for low density housing.

Urban sprawl generally takes place in __________ areas

• Suburban

• Urban

• Rural

Answer explanation

Urban sprawl generally takes place in suburban areas. There's no more room to grow in urban areas and rural areas are too far from the city to be worth developing.

Urban sprawl causes people to rely heavily on what mode of transportation?

• Buses

• Bicycles

• Cars

• Trains

Answer explanation

Urban sprawl causes heavy reliance on cars for transportation because of limited public transit options and the need to travel longer distances that are simply not possible on foot or with a bicycle.

What is urban sprawl?

• The rapid growth of population within a city

• Urban areas being replaced by farmland

• Unrestricted growth of urban areas into surrounding rural lands

• Urban areas becoming more concentrated in a smaller area

Answer explanation

Urban sprawl refers to the unrestricted growth of urban areas into surrounding rural lands.

People living in urban sprawl areas have to travel _______ for work in the city center

• longer distances

• shorter distances

Answer explanation

People living in urban sprawl areas have to travel longer distances for work in the city center because urban sprawl expands outwards from the city center.