urban sprawl
5
4.9
- noun
- /ˈɜrbən sprɔl/
- Specialized
:
expansión urbana descontrolada
- The rapid urban sprawl has led to increased traffic congestion and a loss of agricultural land.
- limit urban sprawl
- reduce urban sprawl
That is a really good boost for quality of life, I think getting that density up versus just a total complete urban sprawl.
- That is a really good boost for quality of life, I think getting that density up versus just a total complete urban sprawl.
Examples
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An urban sprawl of office buildings and coffee shops?
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Atlanta, consistent with its urban sprawl, has attempted to scattershot its startups across the city.
Blog text (26) -
It's nice to get away from the urban sprawl.
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She said she wanted to prevent urban sprawl and provide green space for local people.
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Recent urban sprawl has far outpaced the rate of population increase.
Academic text (2004) -
Urban sprawl has also claimed its share, compromising water quality in the process.
Academic text (1998) -
Don't let the signs of prosperity and urban sprawl in downtown scare you.
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Cliff swallows prefer flat, open spaces, but urban sprawl has meant more trees planted by the region.
Blog text (1) -
Historical estimates indicate urban sprawl overtakes approximately 5,000 acres of habitat every day.
Blog text (33) -
Urban sprawl in cities from San Diego to Seattle to Albuquerque threatens reservation boundaries, environments, and resources.
Academic text (1995)
Synonyms
24
5.7
A wide area of houses and shops that grows without planning
How Spread-Out
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the uncontrolled spread of city development' is directly derivable from combining 'urban' (relating to the city) with 'sprawl' (a spreading/outward expansion). This compound is compositionally transparent and follows a predictable pattern found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Urban sprawl paints a picture of a city stretching out into the countryside: urban means 'city' and sprawl means to 'spread out' in a wide, messy way. That's why the phrase now means 'the uncontrolled spread of cities into surrounding countryside'.