The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines urban sprawl as "land development that is non-agricultural or non-natural exceeding population growth." More simply, sprawl is poorly planned land use.

Many people associate sprawl with the endless strip malls and fast food chains that line highways and with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Communities around the nation are experimenting with measures to control this growth, including the creation of growth boundaries.

Both Oregon and Vermont have adopted growth boundaries as a solution to sprawl. These boundaries are lines established around towns or regions, outside of which, development is severely restricted.

In 1998, a Brookings Institute report found that 31 states adopted anti-sprawl measures, either through protecting green spaces or re-development of existing communities. Still, the growth continues.

Many people view growth boundaries as an excessive reaction to economic development which could have far reaching implications for businesses and homeowners.

On One Hand...

The consequences of sprawl are pervasive, including the destruction of ecosystems and expensive public infrastructure projects like sewer systems.

There is no simple solution to urban sprawl, but residents in Oregon and Vermont have implemented novel approaches to the problem, like growth boundaries. These boundaries conserve wildlife habitat and natural resources by curbing development.

On the Other Hand...

Government measures to halt urban sprawl limit people's choice of where they can live.

Policies to stop sprawl are unfair to the individual and hinder market opportunity by limiting where development can occur.

Growth boundary initiatives also increase urban population density. Every available space within the growth boundary becomes developed. The development inside of growth boundaries limits the amount of open space for urban residents.

• Between 1970 and 1990, the suburban population in the US increased 60 percent, compared to the 12 percent in urban areas.

• Eleven states have statewide land-planning policies which include growth boundaries.

• Every hour in the US about 50 acres of land become part of suburban development.

• Every year 400,000 acres of land in the U.S. are developed.

Environmental News Network (ENN), The Energy Report, U.S. News & World Report, Sierra Club.