The origins of urban sprawl

The term urban sprawl and its early development in the post World War II period is fundamental in the creation of modern public perceptions about urban space. Urban sprawl is a concept that appeared at the end of World War II, along the expansion of the suburbs that occurred during this time. This research documents the first uses of the term urban sprawl that appeared in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The reasons for the use of this term, instead of suburbanization, are also investigated. Finally, a textual analysis of the term urban sprawl is done showing the differing uses of the term in the period and how different groups of people used the term for their own purposes.