Does immigration induce urban sprawl? A dynamic demographic analysis for the U. S.

This article, utilizing U.S. Census data from 1980 and 1990, probes the relationship between immigration and urban sprawl. The preliminary findings reveal that native-born and foreign-born populations are very different regarding their household behaviors. Population growth caused by immigration is not likely the major causal factor to urban sprawl. The residential pattern of native-borns is more prone to inducing urban sprawl, since native-borns have a much higher growth rate in the number of households, owner-occupied housing, suburban residency, and demand for new housing. The article also shows that household behavior is a critical factor in causing urban sprawl. Household growth rather than population growth has a stronger causal linkage with urban sprawl. Future research on implementing microdata is necessary to better untangle the complex relationship.