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Lancaster County Has More Sprawl Than Planners Had Hoped

Ken Lund
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The Lancaster County Planning Commission just came out with a report about how the county has changed over the last decade, as Lancaster Online reports. The county is not meeting the commission's goals for dense urban development.

Specifically, the planning commission has set a goal of building 7 1/2 housing units per acre. But from 2002 to 2015, the county actually built around 4.4 units per acre, and even fewer in some spots. In other words, homes are more spread out.

That phenomenon is known as sprawl, and it means the county is consuming land faster than planners hoped, said James Cowhey, executive director at the commission.

Read the full version of this reportat Keystone Crossroads' websiteKeystone Crossroads is a new statewide public media initiative reporting on the challenges facing Pennsylvania's cities. WPSU is a participating station.

Marielle Segarra was WHYY's Keystone Crossroads reporter. She reported for the multi-station partnership on urban policy, crumbling infrastructure and how distressed Pennsylvania cities are bouncing back. As a freelance radio reporter, her stories have also aired on Latino USA, WNYC, WBUR and other NPR member stations.