sprawl
SPRAWL
/sprɔːl/
The rapid, unchecked, and often disorganized expansion of an urban area into surrounding rural land.
Implies inefficient, auto-dependent, untidy physical spreading outwards rather than vertical density.
The story behind the word. berasal dari Old English 'spreawlian', meaning to stretch out limbs clumsily or lie spread-eagled. In the 1930s, planners adopted it to metaphorically describe cities spreading out limbs awkwardly into countryside areas.
Word relationships
- expansion: 'Expansion' is neutral and can be planned, whereas 'sprawl' implies untidy, low-density, car-centric growth.
- containment: 'Containment' refers to policies preventing outwards geographic growth.
Commonly confused with
- scrawl: 'Scrawl' means messy handwriting, while 'sprawl' means messy outward spatial spreading.
Word family
- sprawling (adjective): Spreading out in an untidy or unorganized way.
Collocations
- urban sprawl
- suburban sprawl
- uncontrolled sprawl
- sprawl outward
Example sentences
- "Suburban sprawl consumed thousands of acres of fertile farmland around the growing city border." Urban Geography
Memory hook
SPRAWL is like falling on the couch and spreading your limbs everywhere. Untidy outward growth.
When not to use
Do not use for well-planned, high-density vertical building projects.
Fun facts
- Los Angeles is frequently cited by urbanists as the classic 20th-century model of low-density auto sprawl.
Related words
Explore more words
conurbation, urbanization, blight, densification, deforest, walkability
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