Robert Heuton

Urban Sprawl and Cityscapes: a Comparative Assessment Robert Heuton

Urban Sprawl and Cityscapes is a comparative case study focusing on the cities of Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario answering several research questions. What specific policy choices are available to municipalities to control urban sprawl? Which public policies have been most successful in controlling urban growth? Discussion focuses on both state and provincial land use goals to control urban sprawl; however, the underlying foundation to manage urban growth depends on a local sense of community and opportunities to rationalize common interests. The dream of both Americans and Canadians is a private estate home in suburbia. The key issues for sprawling suburbs are congested roadways and the need to provide quality water and sewer infrastructure. Cities struggle with school systems that are underfunded and face a heavy tax burden to repair aging infrastructure. Urban policies must be focused on enhancing the quality of life for the whole metropolitan region. Older inner city communities cannot be left behind while tax dollars from senior levels of government pay for problems associate with urban sprawl.