Accounting for Sprawl's Costs: How Development Impact Fees Can Discourage Low-Density Development

Publication Date: September 2003

Publisher: MaryPIRG

Author(s): Brad Heavner; Elizabeth Ridlington

Research Area: Environment

Keywords: Cost of community services; Development impact fees; Sprawl

Type:

Coverage: Maryland

Abstract:

Sprawling development is consuming Maryland's countryside. The cost of different development locations is an important factor in determining which projects will be guilt where. As shown in Accounting for Sprawl's Cost, counties can use development impact fees to influence the location of development, buttress the state's existing efforts at directing growth toward targeted areas and protecting open space.