ABSTRACT
Since the end of World War II the United States has seen a transformation of its built landscape. Downtown and central city dominance has given way to urban sprawl, leading to what some now call the “edgeless city” (Lang 2003). Many bemoan this transformation (e.g., Kunstler 1994) while others consider it to be the natural course of events (e.g., Mills and Hamilton 1989). In recent decades some local, regional, and even state governments have embarked on various “smart growth” initiatives to rein in urban sprawl such as statewide growth management and urban containment (see Nelson and Duncan 1995).
