American Dream

Natural Resources Defense Council - Sprawling land development is gobbling up the American countryside at an alarming rate of 365 acres per hour. In most communities the amount of developed land is growing faster than the population! This pattern of growth forces us to be overly dependent on automobiles, increasing the pollution and damage they cause. It also destroys farmland and open spaces and pollutes more. At the same time it contributes to a range of serious social problems. In response to these trends government has begun to develop smart-growth solutions to revitalize our cities, promote more compact and transit-oriented development, and conserve open space.