Curbing Urban Sprawl: A Study of Three Typical American Cities from the Perspectives of the Built Environment and Socioeconomics

Urban sprawl detrimentally impacts contemporary sustainable urban development and construction. While recent studies have explored the phenomenon of urban sprawl, most of these studies have been limited to the mere identification of urban sprawl without offering comprehensive urban nonlinear factors for effectively curbing urban sprawl. Hence, the study seeks to identify various urban factors influencing urban sprawl and to propose targeted strategies for mitigation. The study's timeframe encompasses the years 2010–2019 based on three cities with typical spatial structures and sprawl characteristics: Washington, DC, Chicago, and New York. In the initial phase, the authors conducted a comprehensive analysis of the built environment and the socioeconomic factors in these cities to fully understand their spatial characteristics. Subsequently, by calculating the urban sprawl index (USI), the authors unveiled both consistencies and differences in sprawl patterns across these three cities. Then, with employing a random forest model, the authors quantitatively explored the nonlinear relationships between these factors and the USI, effectively identifying key influencing factors and proposing targeted measures. The authors' research results identified that the important factors influencing sprawl patterns include the socioeconomic factors such as income distribution and employment arrangements, as well as built environment factors such as road networks. These findings provide scientific support and decision-making reinforcement for urban planning and development, promoting the optimization of urban configurations, curbing the trend of urban sprawl, and advancing sustainable urban development.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1061/JUPDDM.UPENG-5316
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07339488
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Authors:
  • Shan, Cheng
  • Liu, Yunying
  • Gu, Xinyue
• Publication Date: 2025-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 05024044
• Serial:
  • Journal of Urban Planning and Development
  • Volume: 151
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0733-9488
  • EISSN: 1943-5444
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/journal/jupddm

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Built environment; City planning; Socioeconomic factors; Sustainable development; Urban sprawl
• Geographic Terms: Chicago (Illinois); New York (New York); Washington (District of Columbia)
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01939716
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Dec 16 2024 11:59AM