US urban planners cannot undo sprawl

Four major global and US trends tie their hands

The USA is not unique in having sprawling cities, but it is the largest country by far with the lack of urban density it displays. Australia has equally sparsely populated urban areas, but it’s tiny by comparison. Canada’s population is much more packed into its three biggest cities of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

With sprawl comes many downsides. Long commutes. Negative health impacts. High costs of transportation. Expensive and often neglected road, sewer…