Jeffrey H. Dorfman, Professor, Dept. of Agricultural & Applied Economics, The University of Georgia:

Local governments must ensure balanced growth, as sprawling residential growth is a certain ticket to fiscal ruin*
* Or at least big tax increases.

See The Economics of Growth, Sprawl and Land Use Decisions.

• Green spaces increase property values of surrounding land
• Green and open spaces can provide environmental amenities for free
• If green spaces contribute to quality of life, you attract people and jobs to community

Note and jobs, not just people: jobs so the people can work and afford the houses they live in.

But this doesn’t mean exurban subdivisions with big yards: Continue reading →