Planning in The Age of Sprawl - Hamilton County, Ohio

INTRODUCTION
Planning in the Age of Sprawl
CONFLICTING VIEWS ON SUBURBANIZATION
Even before urban sprawl became a presidential campaign issue by Vice President Al Gore,
there was more written about it than anyone could possibly read. Now there’s more. In just
a few seconds my search on the web offered me 17,234 sites to read about “urban sprawl”!
In reviewing even a small part of the plethora of new literature on sprawl, one must conclude
that a healthy profusion of perspectives exists and that the literature is highly subjective.
The range of values related to sprawl or suburbanization, and the diversity of professional
opinion regarding suburban planning and related metropolitan impacts, is a central concern
to the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and to the greater Cincinnati
metropolitan region as we initiate studies to update the County’s comprehensive plan. This
plan will necessarily engage a continuing discussion on alternative views of the future
related to divergent economic orientations—long term versus short term and collective
versus individual. Myers and Kitsuse succinctly define the problem in The Debate Over
Future Density of Development: “Economic models that support the wisdom of sprawl are
inherently short-term frameworks which assume that efficient, short-run decisions made at
the level of the individual add up to a good long-range future.” 1
The planning dialogue related to Hamilton County’s comprehensive plan will basically focus
on how we want to live in the future--in the context of an ever increasing list of competing
objectives and priorities – employment, environment, housing, transportation, education,
aesthetics, social diversity, economic diversity, etc. How can we accommodate people
throughout their life cycles How can we accommodate new social trends affecting the
family unit and the work unit How much growth should be encouraged Where and when
should it occur What type of growth should be encouraged
ABOUT THIS REPORT
What follows is a somewhat perfunctory look at conflicting views on many of these issues as
they pertain to suburbanization and sprawl as well as a scan of the range of opinions
regarding what should be done. The unique influence of Hamilton County’s rugged
topography on growth patterns and sprawl are identified to facilitate community discussion
of important local issues related to obscured consequences of sprawl in our hillside
environment. The rich diversity of opinions identified below will hopefully generate needed
dialogue among local stakeholders and potential planning partners as we attempt to articulate
a collective vision for Hamilton County.
A RANGE OF DEFINITIONS
First, what is this phenomenon called sprawl Proponents of conventional suburban growth
often speak instead in terms of suburbanization, outward growth and economic development.
ugly chaos of “laissez faire urbanization”. Even the American Heritage Dictionary defines
HCRPC
PLANNING IN THE AGE OF SPRAWL
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