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urban sprawl
noun
: the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city
Examples of urban sprawl in a Sentence
efforts to stop urban sprawl
Recent Examples on the Web
Carved into the edge of Pittsburgh’s urban sprawl—just fifteen minutes from downtown—this free outdoor bouldering gym was designed with an ambitious vision: to bring outdoor adventure to all.
—Ryleigh Norgrove, Outside Online, 8 Dec. 2024
That’s the way much of California was built, long before politicians like state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, successfully campaigned to make urban sprawl political anathema.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
Growing cities are required by Washington's Growth Management Act, passed in the early 1990s, to anticipate rising populations, lay out infrastructure investments, and address challenges like urban sprawl.
—Christine Clarridge, Axios, 21 Nov. 2024
The National Capital Region (NCR), a dense urban sprawl of 16 cities that is home to more than 13 million people, is at risk of flooding from heavy to intense rains starting Sunday at noon, data from the state weather agency showed.
—Reuters, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1934, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near urban sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Urban sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20sprawl. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
urban sprawl
noun
: the spreading of urban structures into areas surrounding a city
More from Merriam-Webster on urban sprawl
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for urban sprawl
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