In the traditional form, the
neighborhood center defines the community’s
identity. Everyone wants to gather at the center.
Public art and transit stops are found at the
center. The market cannot keep up with the demand,
for this is where people want to live.
With sprawl, on the other hand,
the center must be labeled so the visitor knows
that he or she has arrived at the center. Most
land that is claimed to be public is actually
private. When the sprawl centers are being constructed,
the surrounding community becomes concerned. The
community wants to be isolated from the sprawl
center because the size and impacts are uncertain
and the center may have a detrimental effect on
property values. Sprawl centers degrade road capacity
since there is only one use in the sprawl center
and the center generates an enormous amount of
trips. At the same time, sprawl centers preclude
the possibility of ever creating authentic public
spaces elsewhere in the city.
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