Contents………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..page

Title page……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4

What is urban sprawl? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Effects of Sprawl………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

What is Smart growth? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

Reasons for smart growth…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10

Effects of smart growth ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11

Literature review …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12

Rexburg city in relation to smart growth and urban sprawl …………………………………………………………………17

Application of Smart growth and urban sprawl in the city of Rexburg………………………………………………….23

Discussion and theoretical perspective………………………………………………………………………………………………..24

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..27

Appendixes

Appendix 1(a) and 1(b) evidence of Smart growth in Rexburg………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………28-29

Appendix 2 (a) and2 (b) Evidence of Urban Sprawl in Rexburg………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………30-31

Appendix 3 (a) ,3 (b) and 3 (c) Housing Choices Available in Rexburg………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………32-34

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….35

Smart Growth and Urban Sprawl escalating in Rexburg City: What implications does this have on the movement behavior of city dwellers, housing choice and population explosion?

Kelvin Musanga

Senior Thesis (Soc 495)

Submitted to Prof. Michael Able

Department of Sociology

In fulfillment for the requirements of Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology

Brigham Young University-Idaho

July 18, 2008

Abstract

Smart growth is a form of development that employs mixed-use development, high-density planning, and transportation in one area in order to create pedestrian-oriented and environmentally friendly cities. Smart growth ensures greater environmental protection, by preserving open space and other environmental amenities, and leads to stronger communities by recognizing the importance of integrating development and quality of life of city dwellers.

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area. The reviewed literature suggests that smart growth and urban sprawl can be bring social and economical barriers to the people and how it might affect the migration behavior of people from one city to another. This research will focus on Rexburg, Idaho, its particular development in dealing smart growth and sprawl. Suggestions on how these policies need to be taught to the city residents so that they understand and learn why the city governments are implementing them. I will draw special emphasis on movement behavior patterns of city dwellers, the housing choice and population explosion and how they relate to the policies under review. By following and managing as well as implementing wisely these policies, Rexburg will become a model of public policy that will foster public interest and bring harmony to city dwellers.

Smart growth and Urban sprawl escalating in Rexburg City: What implications does this have on the movement behavior of city dwellers, housing choice and population explosion?

Introduction

This is a descriptive analysis in which two growth models namely smart growth and urban sprawl will be compared as well as contrasted and analyzed. The comparison will be in the context of social benefits of these policies and how they have impacted on the city of Rexburg. I will employ a holistic approach to the two growth models. A synopsis for each one of two policies is crucial to understanding the effects that each growth model used by the city government in contending with city growth. This paper will accomplish three critical underlying issues based on:

Assess the implication of smart growth and urban sprawl policies as a means to improve the well being of the city.
Is smart growth and urban sprawl the best way to deal with massive increase in population of the city?
How does housing choice, population explosion and migration patterns of people in Rexburg been affected by smart growth and urban sprawl?

In summary, this research is aimed at raising an awareness as well as promoting polices that are in favor of the public interest and it will further discuss the repercussions of what such policies have on the movement patterns of city dwellers. I will draw special emphasis on movement behavior patterns of city dwellers, the housing choice and population explosion and discover how these factors are related to policies being pursued by city governments. By following and managing efficiently and implementing wisely these policies, Rexburg will become a model of public policy that will foster social interest, economic and political freedom that bring meaningful development to city dwellers.

What is Urban sprawl?

Urban sprawl refers to the expansive spatial growth of single family, low-density residential development, often occurring outside city boundaries. A comprehensive definition developed by Carruthers and Ulfasson in their public policy research entitled "fragmentation and urban sprawl: evidence from interregional analysis growth and change" Carruthers and Ulfasson (2002) described urban sprawl as "unplanned, uncontrolled, and uncoordinated single use development that does not provide for a functional mix of uses and is not functionally related to surrounding land uses and which variously appears as low-density, ribbon or strip, scattered, leapfrog, or isolated development." They further described urban sprawl as being characterized by a dominance and dependence on private automobiles for transportation, fragmentation of powers over land use, and large fiscal disparities among communities. In addition to this definition, Jones Black (1996) in his book, 'The economics of sprawl," He pointed out that urban sprawl is the creation of low-density, single-family subdivisions and in order to escape the noise of the crowded cities. The word sprawl can mean to disperse or scatter the bounds of the city. I agree with this definition because many people love space and despise noise and pollution.

Among other several factors that sparked an increase in urban sprawl are politically, economically, social and educationally driven. My focus in this research will be on housing choice, population, and migrations patterns brought about by urban sprawl and smart growth. My approach to learn more on the two policies is more educationally driven. When the population of the city grows; the people are likely to seek for more space outside the city limits. This trend will definitely spark an increase in urban sprawl. Migration patterns will either make the population of the city to dwindle or boom depending on the out bound or in bound migration in to or outside the city. Domestic resettlement is potentially significant in contributing and also accelerating movement patterns of city residents and influencing migration patterns within the United States. Households and businesses tend to move from high cost areas to lower cost areas to enhance their standards of living.

Americans tend to prefer single-family housing outside large cities. This was investigated by Baldassare in his study called "Suburban Communities" and was reported in the annual review of sociology. Baldassare (1992) reported that through surveys conducted by housing scholars from 1972-1981, it showed that most Americans prefer to own and live in single-family homes in smaller communities and within commuting distance to large cities. Housing choice is supported by the state and federal housing policies that are aimed at empowering all Americans to own a house. Housing programs implemented by the federal government in the 1970s targeted areas outside central cities. This effect was the genesis of the issue of sprawl. During this decade, the Federal Housing Administration favored new housing construction in the suburbs not only to increase the amount of single-family housing but to increase the racial diversity of neighborhoods and de-congest city centers. In short, the issue of sprawl was government created under the concept of home empowerment.

Effects of Urban Sprawl

The factors discussed previously on issues that promote urban sprawl comes with a number of positive as well as negative results on the cities that are have implemented such policies. In addition to that, the short and long term effects of such growth models are critical to evaluating the viability of such a policy on the community and livelihood of the citizens.

In a research done by Burchell entitled, "The cost of Sprawl Revisited." He stated that residents who participate in urban sprawling are better able to realize preferences for single-family housing (Burchell, 1998). Since sprawl increases the supply of housing, more individuals are able to benefit from the positive effects of homeownership and thus building their wealth. In other words urban sprawl promotes home ownership. I think this is essential to reducing poverty and enhance the livelihood of the people.

Due to the development of low density areas and neighborhoods which come as result of urban sprawl, there is a weak or no social bonding among the community. In addition, Burchell (1998) argued that high-density development results in weakened neighborhood social ties, because individuals withdraw psychologically and physically when they feel little control over their interactions with others. When people live apart from each other, there is less likely for them to interact and develop social networks. This is crucial from a sociological point in that humans are social beings and as such, social ties are very vital for the full development and education attainment about norms and values of society.

More and more farm land is lost to urban sprawl as land forms are transformed in to domestic and commercial development. One of the major factors is that of rapid population growth. Hopwood and Mellor (2007) in an article called "Visioning the Sustainable City," observed that urbanization and city growth has accompanied the globalization of capitalism with its linked changes in agriculture. The land and property value rises as demand for new domestic and commercial development increases. When open space is developed, ecosystems are also harmed. Leo and Beavis (1998) claimed that development sprawl negatively affects habitats for plants and animals, because development destroys habitats and spark an increase in land and environmental pollution.

The increase in low density areas leads to traffic problems such as fatal road accidents, traffic violations, and traffic jams due to commuting of city dwellers from the out skirts to jobs, shopping and other human daily endeavors. Cities also try to alleviate traffic congestion by providing alternatives to passenger vehicle use by providing and encouraging transportation by mass transit, bicycle, or footing.

The above is a short synopsis of urban sprawl and its real implication on cities and counties that are pursuing such a growth policy. I'm in absolute agreement with the need for cities to grow but it is the manner by which city officials and governors respond to the challenges posed by such policies that complicate the issues or simply the problems. I will now switch to discuss another growth policy that many cities are adopting in order to counter act the perceived effect of urban sprawl by using another growth model called smart growth.

What is Smart growth?

Smart growth is a newer growth model policy that is being used as a growth management tool to counteract the perceived negative aspects of sprawl. Smart growth seeks to address the problems of sprawl with several solutions. These solutions include economically revitalizing the urban core, or city centers creating higher population densities within the urban core, managing infrastructure to control suburban growth and counteracting the subsidies given to sprawl. Douglas Porter (1997), President of the Growth Management Institute, defines Smart growth as, "a conscious government program intended to influence the rate, amount, type, location, and or quality of future development within a local jurisdiction." Many people who are concerned with the environmental protection tend to favor this policy. While people who are concerned with growth and want to explore the economy and seek for ways to trade, support urban sprawl. This has created a conflict between the two growth supporters.

Reasons for Smart growth

The Environmental Protection Agency listed the following as the reasons why the Smart growth should be the center of growth management policy:

1. Mix land uses- maximize the space available within the city limits.

2. Compact building- high density, town homes, and high rise building structures

3. Range of housing opportunities

4. Neighborhoods that are within walking distance between each other and the main city center

5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a sense of place

6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and environmental areas

7. Strengthen existing communities

8. Transportation choices

9. Predictable development choices

10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decision (Smart Growth Network, 2007). The above noted points are the main tenets of smart growth policy

According to Mark Roseland (1998) in his works entitled, "Towards the sustainable city," he stated that Smart growth as a governmental activity has the three core elements, namely entrenching or protecting the environmental needs, redistributing wealth within counties and cities fairly and maximizing efficiently the scarce resources. Similarly, The Governor of Maryland, Parris Glendening (1997), describes smart growth as having three main goals; saving natural resources, revitalizing urban areas, and saving infrastructure costs.

Unlike urban sprawl, smart growth seeks to build social ties among different neighborhoods. This is because of how buildings and housing are structured, planned and implemented under this growth policy. People are likely to know their next door neighbor and thus encourage social ties as well as building the social capital that are necessary for effective functioning in society.

The major concern that I think is crucial for smart growth to provide an environment where children can have close friendships with people around them as compared to urban sprawl where kids tend to be isolated due to distant neighbors. Smart growth's other main objective is to promote the health of residents by encouraging business and homes to have closer proximities in order to allow the citizens to walk rather to drive. This is especially true in that there is a higher a rate of obesity cases in America as result of dependence on cars as means of transport even on short distances. The more people walks, the better their health will improve as walking helps to lower the chances of obesity by shedding off the excess calories and excess body fat.

Each and every policy has its own short comings no matter how good it may be. Although the smart growth policy really sounds so great on paper, I have to point it also has some its short comings as well. Allow me to elaborate some of the challenges that arise from implementing the smart growth policies.

Effects of Smart growth

One of the challenges that I have noticed in this policy is that once buildings and houses are compacted into one central area it may lead to over crowdedness. When this happen, there is an increase in crime, noise pollution, and contagious illnesses are likely to spread faster. The US Census Bureau data of 2002 indicated that the more than 1.5 million legal and illegal immigrants who settle in the country each year, along with 750,000 yearly births to immigrants, are equal to 87 percent of the annual increase in the U.S. population.( Census Bureau 2002) Based on this report, it provides a critical answer to the questions of movement behavior of citizens which is affected by immigrations of new people who will seek for land as well as add to the existing population in a city and thus leading to over population.

Due to the compacted structures in smart growth and the easy access to social and economic facilities, there is a probability of higher cost of housing both to renters and home buyers. As a result, life won't be easy as the cost of living goes up and creating economic and social barriers to low income families. This has led to housing choices being a contributing factor as to why people change their movement patterns. Due to limited land available for development under smart growth, it becomes increasing difficulty for residents to own and build houses. As result of this they will migrant to the other cities and towns that is likely to offer them a chance to own a home. Having discussed at length the two growth models and their implications, allow me now to introduce the scholarly works, overviews and background of what they have done in order to bring to light the scope and extent of these two growth models.

Literature Review

Mary Cooper's article entitled, "Can Managed Growth reduce urban Sprawl?" is a good starting point in order to understand smart growth. Cooper stated that in the early 20th century, blue-collar workers lived downtown in order to walk to industrial jobs, while wealthier families moved to the "railroad suburbs" to escape increasing noise and pollution (Cooper 2004). After World War II, "Federally subsidized home-mortgage loans enabled many American to become homebuyers in spite of limited means to buy homes, but these loans were restricted to areas where homes were considered safe from devaluation essentially fostering the segregation of American communities." This piece of information supports my topic of study because it brings out issues of public policy into reality and how they can affect the lives of city dwellers.

The importance of housing was established in 1949, when "Congress first declared that the United States should ensure a 'decent home and suitable living environment for every American family'" (Smart growth Network 2007, 17). Zoning ordinances from the 1960s isolated retail and businesses from residences and were helpful during a period when living near manufacturing jobs was detrimental to health. Song and Knaap (2004) supported this in a study on zoning laws when they said that all zoning laws are aimed at managing the growth of the city while maintaining the city bounds. I feel that growth of a city without zoning laws, there would be disorderly and chaos in the city because everything would be unregulated.

Landis in his study called "Growth Management Revisited," highlighted more on zoning ordinances when he said, "Current policies that encourage sprawl are prohibitive zoning codes, transportation planning, and mortgage lending practices that ignore high costs of transportation from fringe or the edge of city areas." (Landis, 2006). This is true in that many new places of business are causing people not only to travel a long distance but contribute to the transportation constraints for the residents to access the social amenities that are far away from their homes. Commuting to work or business can be a factor that such public policies can bring on the local people in the city. Demographic factors such as age and education prove to be significant predictors of both actual moves and prospective mobility.

Randle and Williams (1997) in their study known as "Mobility, Perceptions of Quality of Life and Neighborhood Stability in Saskatoon," stated that citizens who rent public housing as their initial housing choice are much less likely to make moves afterward and experience a lower average mobility rate. Longer-term citizens or permanent seem to gain some degree of residential stability, making duration of residence the single most influential factor for mobility rate. This is true in especially for young college students whose housing choice is dependent on rent, they are likely to be more mobile in search of cheaper rental apartment.

However, the high rate of mobility is not necessarily driven by the need for tenure or even amenity as few migrants to make the transition from renters to owners after years of living in the cities. These factors in addition to public policies are the core issues that would lead to the movement behavior and patterns of city dwellers. The degree of changes brought by smart growth policies and urban sprawl has enormous impact on the movement patterns of individual and families from city to city. Randle and Williams (1997) further argued that people move due to many factors such as their well-being or self-assessed quality of life and the impact that this has on the stability of neighborhoods are linked in many ways. One of the expected outcomes related to the attachment to and meaning of place is the level of intra-urban mobility by individuals and families. Those who have negative or neutral feelings towards the place they reside are expected to experience a greater level of intra-urban mobility (Randle and Williams, 1997).

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area. Significant debates are ongoing as to what the problems have arisen from implementation of city and urban policies. Hoopwood and Mellor (2007) observed that urbanization and city growth has accompanied the globalization of capitalism with its linked changes in agricultural productivity, land ownership and forms, and location of production. This massive growth in urbanization and its economic context raises critical environmental and social questions. The richer urban societies-or rather the richer urban dwellers within them-live in a resource-gobbling bubble, exploiting natural resources in a distorted space-time vacuum where food is available out of season and goods are sourced from across the globe." This is a valuable insight to policy makers in that it is giving them a real advice on how to approach the policy making with a public interest amidst the bureaucratic nature of their positions. Policies are more effective when the target specific issues rather than targeting a specific group of people.

In his dissertation, Fazal (2000) predicted that 24 million hectares of crop land were transformed to urban use by the year 2000. This is only about 2 per cent of the world's total crop land but it provides the equivalent present-day food supply for some 84 million people." It is in fact for this reason that I will seek to dig deeper of why this is so. We should express considerable concern about the loss of agricultural land to urban development. I think that this true as the economy is slowly moving away from agricultural based to a more service oriented, there is a steady increase in loss of farmlands in order to facilitate new housing and business developments.

In addition to these city policies changes, it is important to note that there should be a level or balance as Dannenberg stated that, "Quality growth is about balancing the economic, environmental, and social factors to attain the highest quality of life and greatest economic prosperity not only for today, but also for the future. He further explained that quality growth efforts are manifested in many things such as population, city roads, water, sanitation, waste management and not forgetting the social infrastructure their impacts on the built environment and its effects on human health"(Dannenberg, 2007). The big picture I see here is that the reason for public policy is not maintain political machines but to have a human face when dealing with public policy. One other vital point I have seen in public policy is how the policy affects the policy makers themselves.

The solution and challenges of these urban and city policies are very bureaucratic in nature. There is still a divided opinion on who is right or wrong about the Smart growth and urban sprawl. Neuman described "recent attempts to halt sprawl and improve urban lifestyle have been made by compact city, smart growth, healthy community, and new urbanism advocates. To the extent that these advocates have been successful, it is because they have tapped into widespread dissatisfaction in American community building in the last several decades and have provided alternatives" (Neuman, 2005). It seems to me that there are support groups any policy whether good or bad. Whatever the case, it our responsibility to educate the people on the cons and pros of a given public policy to maximize civic awareness to the citizens.

Dannenberg (2008) further noted the implications of the policy of Urban sprawl when he said "Urban sprawl have created opportunities for growth, but that have also created problems, show that there are many benefits to refocusing energy back downtown and to building parks. Without parks children face a crisis; there is no place for them to play, there are no parks, they have no safe outdoor space to spend time, and therefore, they watch a lot of television." Socialization is seen as a major issue lacking under the policy of urban sprawl.

Rexburg City in Relation to urban sprawl and Smart Growth

The city of Rexburg is situated in the South East corner of Idaho. Rexburg, Idaho is the county seat of Madison County and home to the privately owned Brigham Young University-Idaho. The population has grown from a few dozen in 1883 to over 27,000, and the city is motto is "America's family community." Rexburg has seen some tremendous population growth especially with the transition of former Ricks College in to a four year university. The population density was 3,534.4 people per square mile (1,365.4/km²). There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 928.4/sq miles. (www.census.gov)

Figure 1 . The above is a population trend for Rexburg City from 1999- 2010

From the above population trend we can see how fast the city of Rexburg has grown in terms of population and with such growth come the policy part which is the main focus of this study. The growth in population also means the need for more land to counter such growth. The city of Rexburg under its planning and zoning committee, is main duty is to ensure that that they contend this rapid growth by using urban or the smart growth policy. Based on this population trend, I would like to believe that urban sprawl is the slowly becoming the leading growth model for the city of Rexburg. According to the Census Bureau report of 2006, Rexburg experienced a 6% increase in population from 24,733 to 26,217. More land annexed in to the city boundaries representing a 21% land area growth from 7.5 to 9.1 square miles. The report further revealed an increase in new homes in the city of Rexburg with about 196 new homes and town houses were built, doubling the amount of new home built in 2005. In addition to the new homes, there were129 new businesses opened in Rexburg during 2006. Due to the growth in size and population, the Rexburg City is slowly losing its farmland to the urban sprawl in order to pave way to the development of new town homes, roads, church meeting houses, and businesses in order to carter for the growing population.

On the flip side of things, Rexburg City has under gone a massive growth in population, infrastructure, and economic activity. This has attracted a number of intra and international influx in to the city. John M. Millar, Rexburg city planner: "The city had been in a decline. Growth at the university has helped us, but it has been a challenge. We may have to hire more building inspectors to keep up with construction" Another growth effects that has been seen in Rexburg City is the building of the Temple. "Economic development almost invariably follows the announcement of a new temple in areas heavily populated by Latter-day Saints, with land values in the area rising as developers put up new housing some of it expensive homes in exclusive neighborhoods drawing the faithful and their financial resources." (Deseret Morning News, Feb 2008)

The Temple in Rexburg is also played a huge part in the growth patterns that have been seen and yet to be seen.LDS leaders and members alike publicize its spiritual benefits, government and business leaders know there are significant financial and economic benefits that flow into the area once a temple is announced and construction begins and eventually finished.

In an interview with the Planning and Zoning Administrator for the city of Rexburg, it was revealed that the city had been using the natural development of a compact well mixed urban environment. This was largely due to the fact that farm land was valuable to the local people. The natural development and compact with a well mixed urban development is what is called today as "smart growth."

Brigham Young University Idaho has made a remarkable impact on the growth of the city of Rexburg. With an increased student body, the city of Rexburg stands to welcome a diversity of students from across the USA and the other international countries. Migrations patterns have been affected by and large by the incoming students as well as the students who graduate.

The Rexburg planning and Zoning Committee has put up a growth plan in order to utilize and maximize and contend the demand for land, housing, recreation and businesses. The city uses a comprehensive plan 2020 to manage the rapid growth in population. Urban sprawl policies seek to expand the city boundaries, Smart growth on the other hand seek to limit the city boundaries in to a small city, with efficient use of available space in the city. By creating a healthy and commutable place with more city dwellers accessing their social, economic, political and recreational facilities within a walking distance. Song (2005) made this observation "Compared to sprawl, compact and traditional development has drawn increasing attention from land use and environmental policy makers. The two public polices indeed have an opposing view point. I would like to mention the fact that the city authorities with their planners are tempted to go for sprawl policy in order to bring more property taxes from businesses and new developers in a more moderate manner while still maintaining the ideas of smart growth so that they can strengthen the existing neighborhoods and promote health of the city dwellers.

According to the Gallup Poll conducted in May 2005, it revealed that many American of younger generations favors the economic development over the environment. Environmental pollution is the major effect of urban sprawl policy. Due to bigger city limits, air pollution and traffic jams are common. Older Americans are significantly less likely than younger Americans to choose the environment as their top priority. A majority of 18- to 29-year-olds (58%) and 30- to 49-year-olds (57%) pick protecting the environment over economic growth. Among 50- to 64-year-olds, 48% prioritize protecting the environment. Just 44% of Americans aged 65 and older place the environment ahead of the economy. The mean age of the city of Rexburg is 25 years old, based on this poll; I can categorically state that the city of Rexburg will continue to favor urban sprawl policy as its growth model. The graph below explains the age category most likely to vote for environment protection visa-vi economic growth.

Figure 2 . Who supports economic growth or protect the environment? This is a growth model argument data by the Gallup poll. This has a strong relationship between smart growth and urban sprawl because young people support more of growth in terms of urban sprawl while the older generation supports environmental protection i.e. smart growth

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,004 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted March 7-10, 2005, respectively. For results based on these samples, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. www.gallup.com/policy

Application of Smart growth and Urban sprawl in the city of Rexburg

I will now show how the city of Rexburg is trying to use each one of the growth model policies under review in this article. First of all Smart growth in Rexburg can be seen in the manner in which the city planning and zoning has outlined in the 2010 comprehensive plan. Downtown Rexburg is a core of the Smart growth policy has the following guiding principles that will guide the continuation of the downtown core over the next hundred years. These principles are as follows:

Downtown is a Pedestrian-Priority Area.
Downtown is the Civic, social and cultural Center of Rexburg and Madison County.
Downtown is highly attractive to visitors.
Downtown is the Heart of "America's Family Community."
Downtown is a Mixed Use Center which includes Retail, Office, Residential, Entertainment, Culture and Educational facilities.
Downtown is highly connected to the City, Region and to BYU-Idaho.
Downtown is guided by public interest as a place of community interaction (City of Rexburg 2020 Comprehensive Plan). ( see Appendix 1 (a) and (b) and Maps 1 and 2)

Urban sprawl can be identified in the City of Rexburg as the city has continued to sprout and the city limits extended. There is a massive increase in population in the city of Rexburg as shown by the population trend graph. The loss of farmland to pave way to new businesses, new home, and increase in movement patterns of people in to Rexburg as well as out of Rexburg has tripled. The following are the critical signs of sprawling as evidenced in Rexburg:

Urban sprawl is made possible by increasingly better and more prevalent modes of transportation and the increase in decentralized services to communities such as new roads, new better homes and town houses
increased space, quiet surroundings, and increased choices in living styles
Increased traffic as more people drive to city center and to their jobs
Sale of farm lands for commercial use
Annexation of more land into city limits ( see Appendixes 2(a) and Appendix 2(b) )

Discussion and theoretical perspective

The growth models of urban sprawl and Smart growth have affected Rexburg and other cities in the USA in a different ways and these effects have positive and negative results on the city dwellers. The social theoretical perspectives that will support the thesis of this research are rational or exchange theory as well as the conflict theory. These theories are at play in the manner in which the growth models policies are being implemented by the city governments. According to Homan (1958) he described it by stating "Social behavior is an exchange of goods, material goods but also non-material ones, such as the symbols of approval or prestige. Persons that give much to others try to get much from them, and persons that get much from others are under pressure to give much to them. This process of influence tends to work out at equilibrium to a balance in the exchanges. For a person in an exchange, what he gives may be a cost to him, just as what he gets may be a reward, and his behavior changes less as the difference of the two, profit, tends to a maximum."

Exchange theory is applicable to the two policies in that the city government weighs the options as which policy to use when developing a particular sub-division. There is a direct exchange of resources between city officials and city dwellers. The residents also to have asses in what ways they are affected by a given policy. The results under which they perceive a given policy will produce a twofold result. If the exchange is not equal between the parties involved, one would opt out or decide to stay in the city. Therefore, exchange theory is applicable to the movement behavior of city dwellers considering the fact that they have to be rational in the manner in which they put up with the policy that city officials are implementing. This will affect the choices people will make in order to make a moving or staying decision. There is a greater increased rational behavior because residents will also consider the options of cheap and affordable housing as well as renting or buying.

There are evidence of people moving out of Rexburg in to nearby cities and counties such as Rigby, Sugar City, and Roberts Ashton and in counties such as Freemont, Jefferson, and Madison. The movements have been necessitated due to the fact that some citizens cannot cope with high cost of land and property has increased in Rexburg. Rexburg has a wide selection of housing choice from town houses, single family homes, government subsidized houses for small and median size families. In addition to these choices, the University also has considerable housing units for student population. In winter 2002, the university reported a total of 8,667 on and off-campus beds available to single students (this includes units that are privately owned as well as those owned and operated by BYU-I. The 2000 Census reported a total of 259 vacant units in Rexburg. The overall vacancy rate in Rexburg in 2000 was 5.7 percent according to the U.S. Census. This rate was about 54 percent higher than the overall vacancy rate of 3.7 percent in 1990. If seasonal and recreational units are removed from the number of vacant units counted to determine the rate in 2000, it falls to 5.1 percent. This is a strong indication that migrations patterns out of Rexburg are ongoing to nearby cities such as Idaho Falls, Sugar City, Roberts, Rigby and Ashton.

The city of Rexburg currently has no real tools to curb sprawl. That is, they do not have an urban growth boundary. On the contrary, the current policy allows. This current policy may have long term impacts including cost of maintenance, which will be the City's burden. Due to the lack of the necessary plans and tools to curb urban sprawl, the Area of City Impact (ACI) was traditionally an area that future city growth was anticipated to reach. The ACI has a boundary that the City and the County must agree on. The city was not to annex outside of this boundary. Recently, the City has annexed outside of the ACI and found a legal way to do so. This, I think has huge implications, on the current growth of the city as well in shaping the urban sprawl to a new level. Urban planning is also a great tool that the city utilize to involve the city dwellers in the development of the city and participating in town planning and zoning as well and assessing the extent of each policy passed.

Conclusion

The two policies both provide solutions in contending the massive population growth in Rexburg. Although each one has its own short coming, I foresee that the two policies will continue to run parallel where one is created to contend the other. In this case smart growth was developed to contend urban sprawl and urban sprawl was created in order to give people space and build houses of their own choice. Migration patterns of people in to the city of Rexburg will continue and thus adding to the existing population. For this reason, I feel that there is a strong correlation between migrations and population growth. Many people moving into Rexburg are seeking the social benefit of a "Family Community" and willing to seek for land where to build. It is up to the people to judge whether smart growth and urban sprawl is the best way to deal with growth. If the people oppose any of the two policies it is viable to offer new way and solutions to manage growth in a city. The involvement of the people residents in the policy making such as zoning hearings is what I can recommend to residents so that can actively be engaged in the governance of their city rather than moving from city to city seeking the best city with the best policy. City governments should engage in educating the residents about the meaning of each policy and what implications will come from each one.

Public choice theory stands in conjunctions with exchange theory stands at the core of city governments and officials to promote their self interest. The social benefits of city residents are manifested in the quality of life they obtain in return because policies are made to control the people while maintaining government bureaucracy. Bureaucrats in the city who are set on making and controlling the policy have the tradeoffs with the people in the manner in which the people respond to polices being pursued.

Finally, I conclude by making a prediction that based on the current trends that have been highlighted in this research, the city of Rexburg is just beginning to feel the immediate effect of sprawl. The city will continue to be a two faced growth model. The old parts of the city will continue to carry the face of smart growth while mostly the new subdivisions of the city will carry the face of urban sprawl. Despite an increased campaign against sprawl, it will continue to be a growth model for most of rural America. As result of this continuous trend, the movement patterns of people will continue be shaped by this policy. Population explosion as result of smart growth will continue to invite people to the out skirts of the city. Housing choice will also remain the major factor to be continuously influencing the two policies that this research has discussed at length.

Appendix 1(a)

Evidence of Smart growth in the City of Rexburg

Figure 1. Main Street is the core of Smart Growth Policy in Rexburg

Figure 2 Down Town Rexburg is designed as walking area- typical of smart growth

Appendix 1(b)

Figure 3. The Street Linking Down Town Rexburg and Brigham Young University -Idaho is to allow more people to walk and use Bicycles. This is a health approach under smart growth policy.

Appendix 2(a)

Evidence of Urban Sprawl in Rexburg

Figure 4. A new Sub-division is captures with its houses spread across East of Rexburg. This is typical of urban sprawl. Housing choice is a big factor also under this growth policy.

Appendix 2(b)

More evidence of Urban Sprawl in Rexburg

Figure 5 More open farm land is on sale in Rexburg for commercial and domestic land use. Urban sprawl is being awaited here.

Figure 6. This is University Boulevard a newly constructed road in Rexburg. This is yet another evidence of urban sprawl.

Appendix 3 (a)

Housing Choices Available in Rexburg

Figure 7. Community Housing for young single families in Rexburg

Appendix 3(b)

Housing Choices available in Rexburg

Figure 8. New Town Homes in Rexburg

Figure 9. High cost homes North of Rexburg

Appendix 3 (c)

Housing Choices Available in Rexburg

Figure 10. Big Mansions in Rexburg

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Thursday, September 11, 2008

What issues should Zambians look for in electing a new President?

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Smart growth and urban sprawl escalating in Rexburg City: What are the implication on movement behavior, housing choice and population explosion?

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