Urban sprawl (original) (raw)

The paper explores urban sprawl, particularly its causes, consequences, and the economic models that can capture its complexity. It discusses how lower transportation costs and self-sorting behaviors lead to increased suburbanization, creating both opportunities and challenges for urban economies. Key issues addressed include traffic congestion, pollution, the loss of open space, and inequality in public goods provision. The authors emphasize the need for integrated economic models to better understand urban development and propose future research directions to tackle the inefficiencies connected with urban sprawl.