COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Environmental scientists have determined that, despite reports to the contrary, U.S. urban sprawl has grown significantly during the past several decades.
Ohio State University Associate Professor Elena Irwin and University of Maryland Assistant Professor Nancy Bockstael studied land use patterns in Maryland and found substantial and significant increases in sprawl between 1973 and 2000. That is in contrast to a study last year that concluded the extent of sprawl remained roughly unchanged in the United States between 1976 and 1992.
"We found that the areas where sprawl increased the most were in the exurban areas -- out beyond even the suburbs," said Irwin.
The study looked for evidence of fragmented land use -- areas where housing was juxtaposed with agriculture or forested areas, for example. Irwin said that is one of the basic hallmarks of sprawl.
The research showed such fragmentation was 60 percent greater in 2000 than in 1973.
While the study was done only for the state of Maryland , Irwin said she'd expect the results to be applicable to other states that have witnessed substantial development.
The study was published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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