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Many people who live in a city have the dream of moving to the country. They might desire peace and quiet, or decreased traffic, pollution, and perceived crime. For these reasons and more, people are moving out of city centers and into the outlying areas. As these people move out, businesses follow. After all, people need grocery stores and gas stations to satisfy their convenience-oriented needs.

As these newer communities grow, housing and business developments consume landscapes while inner city areas become more and more deserted. Some people believe we should build a new business on a vacant lot in a city before sacrificing more land on the edge of town. In fact, there are some cities fighting for this to become a law.

Some experts think there is a smart way to grow—to reserve some open space yet also satisfy the desire to move to the country.

Urban sprawl happens when houses and businesses leap frog over each other. An example might be a person who buys ten acres of land in the country not far from a town or city and wants to build a house on it. The first step in doing this would probably involve clearing the land to make room for the house. Trees or dirt may be moved or removed. Water lines, sewer systems, power lines, and roads might need to be added or extended to the area. Next development of the house takes place. When it's done, the owner has the beauty of the country with some of the luxuries of the city. The expense to the owner and to the environment might be high but, in this example, the owner thinks it's worth it. Urban sprawl takes place when other people also want to buy land and build houses or businesses on that same countryside. Rural sprawl happens when small acreages pop up all over landscapes such as the mountains of Colorado and the prairies of northwestern Iowa.

The ecosystems in these landscapes can suffer from sprawl when they are disturbed or destroyed. Landscapes also suffer when open spaces disappear or when erosion takes place due to over-development. Results like this affect our quality of life and the future life of our landscapes.

• What are your reactions when you hear urban sprawl? Are your reactions positive or negative? Why?
• Explain the differences between conservation subdivision and urban sprawl. How does each affect a working landscape?
• What social, economic, and ecological needs should be considered when building a home or business in a working landscape?
• Explore more about the tragedy of the commons. How is this true for mining, urban sprawl, or tourism?
• How can the tragedy of the commons be stopped through establishing healthy working landscapes?