The "Effective
Policies to Limit Urban Sprawl" Project
Urban sprawl is accused of degrading quality of life, creating traffic
congestion, involving enormous costs through boosting needs for transport,
road construction and infrastructure development, threatening farmland and
wildlife and increasing environmental pollution.
Recent evidence shows that, after the United States and Western Europe, sprawl
has appeared in the CEE countries, though the trend and the ensuing problem
have not received much attention yet. The acceleration of city sprawl has
just started in Hungary, as well as in Poland and the Czech Republic (both
of which are considered the most advanced in the transition process). Major
cities are stretching beyond their boundaries by establishing several huge
shopping centers and plazas, founding new suburbs, and creating huge warehouses,
all of which cause every negative effect experienced by the developed countries.
The public euphoria about the new shopping and housing opportunities, as
well as the end of car shortages, overshadows their negative consequences.
The growing costs of transportation, congestion and pollution caused by traffic
are attributed purely to underdeveloped infrastructure and the aging car
fleet. The public has not noticed the apparent trend of the closing down
of city center retail shops that are unable to compete with the shopping
malls (though retail statistics can already prove this adverse effect). The
costs of urban sprawl and its economic and environmental impacts have not
been sufficiently investigated in the countries of transition. As a consequence,
the general public is not aware of the problem.
This issue is addressed by the Effective Policies to Limit Urban Sprawl
project, launched in late February 1999 in order to help Hungary and other
CEE countries find long-term solutions to the complexity of urban problems,
in particular to urban sprawl.
Urban sprawl is a complex issue caused by many diverse factors, including
economic, financial, and social elements. Solutions require significant intellectual,
financial and institutional resources, and the collaboration of national
and local authorities, as well as different non-governmental organizations.
Solutions are also difficult because of the conflicting interests of different
affected interest groups. Consequently, it will take years to effect solutions.
The CES mission in this process is to act as a catalytic institution promoting
both the collaboration of interested parties and the start-up of the process
that will result in various strategies (local, national, and institutional)
addressing urban sprawl issues.
In the first stage of the program, the CES focussed on promoting a better
public understanding of the problem, directing the attention of stakeholders
to alternative solutions. The Center gathered information on sprawl
and its negative consequences, as well as workable solutions, policies and
policy instruments applied in Western Europe and the United States. Four
case studies were prepared on urban development of Budapest and its agglomeration
zone dealing with different aspects of the problem. They describe the trends
of urban development and the process of sprawl, examine the driving forces,
including the economic, legal and institutional factors fostering spatial
expansion instead of developing a livable city. They show the impact of the
lack of control over urban development and the lack of cooperation among
affected communities on the development of Budapest and its agglomeration
zone. One case study argues that inadequate transport policy and the ensuing
environmental pollution also push people out of the city. Another presents
the state and prospects of Budapest brownfields. The studies were presented
on the policy forums and are going to be published together with the other
presentations of the forums before the end of this year.
Between February and April, 2000 four policy forums were organized (1) to
call the attention of the audience to the first signs of sprawl, (2) to evaluate
the development of the Hungarian cities and (3) to identify potential policy
options for curbing sprawl as well as tools to solve problems caused by urban
development. Participants were briefed on issues of urban development by
US, Western European and Hungarian experts. Each forum was concluded by a
discussion on the issues raised by the presentations.
Issues Raised by the Policy Forums on Urban Sprawl included
Forum #1: Urban sprawl and its economic, social and environmental implications
Forum #2: Urban sprawl and its driving forces
Forum #3: Policies to curb urban sprawl
Forum #4: Brownfields
Phase II of the project is focussing on building leadership for smart growth
by training potential leaders, organizing study trips for them and fostering
continuous exchange of information and experience on urban sprawl issues
between analysts, practitioners and decision-makers. At the same time, it
continues to raise public awareness of urban sprawl-related problems and
keep the attention of the public aroused.
This project of the Center is supported by the German Marshall Fund of the
United States an independent U. S. foundation created to deepen understanding,
promote collaboration and stimulate exchanges of practical experience between
Americans and Europeans.
CES Publication on the Issues of Urban Sprawl