Sprawling development imposes high costs on Pennsylvania residents and communities. These costs range from more than $100 million per year in capital construction for local governments to mushrooming traffic in suburbs, and the decline of cities, boroughs, and townships across the state. Because many of the costs of sprawl are hidden, the study also identifies who pays them. It explains how widespread, diffuse real estate development increases the costs of transportation and schools along with pollution and stress, while also consuming agricultural land and natural areas. The study was commissioned by 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania with several sponsoring organizations.

The executive summary and full report are available from the links below.