How Anti-Sprawl Policies May Harm Water Quality

Urban growth boundaries are created by governments in an effort to concentrate urban development — buildings, roads and the utilities that support them — within a defined area. These boundaries are intended to decrease negative impacts on people and the environment. However, according to a Penn State researcher, policies that aim to reduce urban sprawl may be increasing water pollution. "What we were interested in was whether the combination of sprawl — or lack of sprawl — along with simultaneous agriculture development in suburban and rural areas could lead to increased water-quality damages," says Douglas Wrenn, a co-funded faculty member in the