Strategic Spartanburg

Since World War II, prevailing patterns of land use throughout the country have emphasized the conversion of natural or agricultural land to low-density residential subdivisions, commercial centers, and business parks separated by roads and parking lots. Often described as "sprawl", this type of land use creates long distances between homes and work or shopping, a heavy reliance on highways and automobiles, and the destruction of the natural landscape. Recent studies have begun identifying and quantifying the negative impacts that result from sprawl. These include: wildlife habitat loss and fragmentation, degradation of water quality as watersheds are paved, diminished air quality, loss of farmland, loss of open space, decline in community and quality of life as more time is spent isolated in cars and homes, and hazards to public health such as obesity from less walking.