Benefits of Compact, Mixed Use Development

This report summarizes the findings of several academic and government studies that looked at sprawl in Colorado. It is primarily concerned with reports from the Denver Regional Council of Governments focused on the Denver Urban Growth Boundary and scenarios where the boundary is modified. Sprawl is not strictly defined in the report, though one might assume it would mean an expansion of the growth boundary. It notes that sprawling development does not generate enough tax revenue to recoup infrastructure and service costs, that infill development generates lower infrastructure and service costs, and that the cost of new infrastructure and services for sprawling development are subsidized by the entire community. The report provides estimates of each cost. It also discusses ways in which local governments subsidize, such as limited fiscal analysis, and provides policy recommendations such as graduated utility rates, alterations to the tax structure, and the ending of subsidies that encourage sprawl.