More Sprawl Is Definitely Not the Solution: Why Dense, Walkable Communities Are the Future
- Bradley Heard
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
As America grapples with a deepening housing crisis, New York Times columnist Conor Dougherty recently argued that more suburban and exurban sprawl—endless subdivisions, expanding highways, and cheaply built infrastructure on greenfield land—is the answer to our housing shortage. According to Dougherty, only by building farther away from existing cities can we construct the millions of new homes we need.
This narrative, however, ignores the long-term environmental, economic, social, and health consequences of sprawl—and it underestimates the potential of our existing urban areas to accommodate unmet housing needs. One must wonder what the mayors of long-declining boomtowns like Detroit, Gary, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, or the numerous nearly vacant “Mainstreet, USA” towns, might say about Dougherty’s perspective.
Environmental and Fiscal Costs
Expanding urban boundaries may offer a quick, cheap fix, but the hidden price is steep. Greenfield development destroys natural habitats and fertile farmland, fragments ecosystems, and reduces biodiversity. Every acre converted into concrete and asphalt exacerbates climate change. Moreover, sprawling developments necessitate extensive networks of roads, sewers, utilities, and public facilities. Unlike compact urban centers—where infrastructure is efficiently shared among many residents—low-density sprawl forces municipalities into piecemeal, expensive systems that strain budgets and siphon funds from other vital services.
The Human Cost: Longer Commutes and Lost Time
Sprawl exacts a heavy toll on our daily lives. As development pushes further from urban cores, residents spend more time in traffic rather than with their families or participating in community life. Lengthy commutes not only increase fuel consumption, pollution, and stress but also jeopardize physical and mental well-being. In contrast, mixed-use, dense communities place daily necessities within walking or biking distance, saving time and enhancing quality of life through improved work–life balance.
Economic Consequences of Dispersion
Economic vitality thrives on proximity. When communities are scattered by sprawl, retail businesses and service providers lose the critical mass of customers needed to sustain a vibrant local economy. Clustered development creates a multiplier effect—raising property values, attracting diverse business ventures, and generating robust local tax revenue. Conversely, sprawl dilutes the consumer base and fragments the labor market, reducing local economic efficiency and opportunity.
Social and Health Impacts: Eroding Community Bonds
Perhaps the most underestimated cost of sprawl is its impact on social cohesion and community health. When homes, workplaces, and schools are widely dispersed, the spontaneous interactions that foster community are lost. Consider global urban centers like New York, Paris, London, and Barcelona—or even many classic small towns. These places are dense and walkable, with vibrant streetscapes that encourage daily human interaction, bolster mental and physical health, and help residents—especially seniors—remain active and independent. Studies have long demonstrated that seniors living in amenity-rich, walkable environments enjoy better health outcomes and social engagement compared to those in isolated, car-dependent locales. Similarly, safe, compact neighborhoods free children (and their parents) from constant shuttle rides, fostering independence, social skills, and community participation.
A Local Lesson from Prince George’s County
Nowhere is this debate more urgent than in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Caught between the pull of mass suburbanization beyond the Beltway and the desire for transit-oriented urbanization inside it, this county exemplifies the consequences of missed opportunities. WMATA Metrorail’s arrival in Prince George’s in the 1980s presented a golden opportunity to build vibrant, walkable neighborhoods around Metro stations. Sadly, unlike Arlington County, Virginia, which embraced smart transit planning and reaped the benefits, Prince George’s County failed to capitalize on its transit potential. The county’s close-in former streetcar suburbs, once on the frontier of the Washington, D.C. metro area, have since shown signs of deterioration and disinvestment.
Legacy issues—exacerbated by racism, redlining, and segregation—have contributed to Prince George’s tarnished reputation. However, as one of the wealthiest majority-Black jurisdictions in the nation, the county possesses both the resources and the potential to reinvent itself. By leveraging its 15 Metro stations (and the upcoming Purple Line stations) to create compact, transit-oriented communities, Prince George’s can foster economic development, concentrate jobs and consumer bases, and restore the emblematic social and cultural vibrancy of successful urban environments.
The Promise of Reinvigorated Urbanism
The national experience—and the lessons from Prince George’s County—make one thing clear: density, walkability, and efficient transit are not obstacles to progress, but rather its drivers. The housing crisis need not force a choice between affordable homes and livable communities. With well-planned infill development and mixed-use zoning, we can create areas that harness the advantages of historical transit access and compact design while injecting fresh investment through modern planning.
Cities such as New York and London did not become global centers by spreading out; they thrived because they prioritized connectivity, efficient public transit, and human-scaled design. Their deliberate policies and compact urban forms have not only boosted economic productivity but also nurtured vibrant cultural and social communities.
A Call to Action for Policy and Leadership
Addressing our housing crisis requires forward-thinking strategies that reject the outdated notion of unchecked sprawl. For regions like Prince George’s County, this means transformative investments in infrastructure, public transit, and community amenities—not mere cosmetic updates. Policymakers must abandon the lure of rapid, sprawling expansion in favor of sustainable solutions that build on the strengths of existing urban fabric.
Leaders in Prince George’s County—and across America—must envision urban growth that prioritizes human connection over geographic sprawl. This vision involves streamlining redevelopment permitting processes, incentivizing mixed-use projects near transit hubs, and reinvesting in communities that once thrived as streetcar suburbs. Success in these areas could serve as a model for revitalizing other aging urban centers, proving that thoughtful planning can indeed reverse decades of disinvestment.
Embracing a Future Built on Connection
We must reject the false promise of endless sprawl on exurban greenfields and instead recommit to and reinvest in our established communities. By embracing density, enhancing connectivity, and fostering vibrant public spaces through smart urban planning, we can create a future where housing is both abundant and sustainable, where the environment is respected, and where our cities center on people rather than cars.
America’s housing crisis demands bold, innovative solutions—but more sprawl is not the answer. The path forward lies in transforming our existing urbanized areas into compact, livable hubs that promote economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social well-being. It is time to invest in a future where every community thrives as a dynamic, connected, and resilient center of life and opportunity.
About the Author: Bradley Heard is a civil rights attorney, smart growth advocate, and the founder and president of Greater Capitol Heights Improvement Corporation, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to revitalizing, redeveloping, and reinvesting in central Prince George’s County, Maryland’s inner-Beltway communities.