Which statement best contrasts urban sprawl with smart growth strategies?

• A. Sprawl is high-density, highways-oriented development with strong transit links
• B. Sprawl emphasizes preservation of natural areas with no new development
• C. Sprawl uses radial patterns with limited density and no focus on accessibility
• D. Sprawl is low-density, scattered development; smart growth emphasizes compact, walkable, transit-accessible development, designated growth boundaries, and mixed-use

Answer: (D)

This question tests how urban form shapes growth patterns and transportation choices. Sprawl is characterized by low-density, scattered development that sprawls outward from a city, reinforcing automobile trips and weaker connectivity. Smart growth stands in contrast by promoting compact, walkable, transit-accessible development, along with mixed-use areas that cluster housing, work, and services and with growth boundaries to protect natural spaces. The statement that best contrasts the two does so by describing sprawl as low-density and scattered, and smart growth as compact, walkable, transit-oriented development with designated growth boundaries and mixed-use. Other descriptions either misstate sprawl’s density and transit focus or omit the importance of growth boundaries and land-use mix, so they don’t capture the full contrast.