Response to GAO Sprawl Report

You may have recently read about a new General Accounting Office (GAO) report that debunks the theory that federal programs lead to sprawl. That characterization is completely false. The report is extremely different from the news story (see a sample news story below). The story I get from the report is:

•factors contributing to sprawl are complex and hard to isolate;
•there are clear examples of federal factors contributing to sprawl; and
•the GAO would like more quantitative data.

The GAO found disagreement among experts, which led to the daring title of the report: "Extent of Federal Influence on Urban Sprawl is Unclear."Of course, it's all about spin. Which is why the media, wanting to be contrarian, wrote it up the way they did.

Reading the report, the GAO writes:
"We did not independently assess the validity of the research." They conducted interviews and a literature review. This includes literature from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Sierra Club, etc.

They write: "so many factors contribute to [sprawl] and the relationships among these factors are so complex that researchers have had great difficulty isolating the impact of individual factors."

They write: "[s]ome experts believe—and anecdotal evidence exists to support their belief—that the federal government currently influences 'urban sprawl'..."

They write: "The shortage of quantitative evidence does not mean that federal programs and policies do not have an impact on 'urban sprawl;' it simply means that the level of the federal influence is difficult to determine."

They find: "We agree with EPA that there is a enough research in a few federal program and policy areas, such as transportation, to make stronger statements about the federal impact on 'urban sprawl.'... [However,] creating such a section [detailing those federal programs which clearing impact sprawl] in the report might lead readers to assume that the other policies do not contribute to lower-density development when, in reality, research does not exist to prove the point either way."

They also find: "We agree with EPA that affordability is not inherent to 'urban sprawl' and that alternatives, such as clustering housing, can also increase the affordability of housing."

If you have questions about the report, feel free to contact Evan Manvel at (503) 497-1000.

The GAO report, "Community Development: Extent of Federal Influence on 'Urban Sprawl' Is Unclear," can be found on the Internet at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/bysubject.htm#13
Then click on: RCED-99-87 (a pdf file, which requires Adobe Acrobat)

Here's one version of the news story, with my comments (in red):
CONGRESSIONAL STUDY REJECTS "SPRAWL" THEORY
Incorrect.

In a blow to Vice President Al Gore's contention that America's open spaces are being eaten up by suburbs, the General Accounting Office finds no statistical evidence to back up the theory.
Incorrect.

The long-awaited, 11-month study finds largely anecdotal evidence that current federal programs push development away from central cities.
Distortion. It finds that the evidence, while mainly anecdotal, supports the claim.

There is no consensus among researchers that transportation spending on new highways, environmental regulations, housing policies and tax incentives cause "sprawl."
With interest-group researchers, not surprising. Also, incorrect on the transportation side.

The GAO even cites some positive aspects of sprawl -- such as increased home ownership and cheaper places for businesses.
The GAO is parroting what some experts say -- and says that businesses are "sometimes" cheaper.

In the opinion of Sam Staley, director of the Reason Public Policy Institute's Urban Futures Program, there is very little the federal government can do to stem sprawl-- which he characterizes as "a quintessential state and local issue."
Reason is a libertarian think-tank -- an expert on the issue? Doubtful.

A disappointed Sierra Club spokeswoman, whose organization had looked forward to a finding that would boost objections to suburban sprawl, said the club "had expected something emphatic." Vice President Al Gore has made "smart growth" -- a catchword for anti-sprawl -- a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.

Source: Haya El Nasser, "Congressional Sprawl Study Fails to Find Culprit, USA Today, April 30, 1999.