Lee G.

I've been doing a lot of traveling this summer and it's amazing how many cities in America are virtual construction sites for new suburban development. Honestly, the usual excuses that local people throw around just don't make sense. Down here in South Carolina, we blame it on northerners fleeing the cold weather. But during a recent trip through Michigan and Minnesota, there was tons of new sprawl. Also, while visiting the Macon, Georgia area, there was much of the same, and they blamed it on Atlanta, even though it's nearly two hours away. In fact, the only cities I saw without a sprawl problem had large African-American populations (Selma, Alabama particularly stood out in this regard). Anywhere in America with a white middle class seems to have sprawl. You wonder when this is all going to come to a head. Urban sprawl has gotten out of control at a time when we're supposedly worried about global warming and our dependence on foreign oil. The housing boom is over yet developers haven't slowed down. There are alternatives to sprawl out there, but this generation seems to be the last chance to stop sprawl before it becomes useless to even try. I never used to be an environmental voter, but right now I'd gladly cast my vote for whichever presidential candidate promises to be the greenest.