Journal of Advance Research in Social Science & Humanities ISSN: 2208-2387

A Literature Review on Urban Sprawl in Developed and Developing

Countries
Siva Kumar T. Renu
Tuan Pah Rokiah Syed Hussain1

ABSTRACT: The urban sprawl is the process of a city that evolves from a high density center to form
a low density area towards its periphery based on its own phases involving the historical outbreak of a
city. The shape, process and effect of a urban sprawl are different. Therefore, studies related to the
urban sprawl need to be carried out for each different city, even in the same country. Experience in
developed and developing countries suggests that any urban sprawl have a beneficial and bad effect on
society and it also poses a problem to the city's management system. Hence, this article is intended to
discuss the outcome of a review of a number of literature in relation to the urban sprawl overview
globally, and in the context of Malaysia itself.

Keywords: Urban Expansion, Urban Periphery, Urban Sprawl, Malaysia

Introduction

The urban sprawl terminology was introduced by Earle Draper in 1937, and he is a city
planner from the United States (Black, 1996). According to Ewing (1994), Ewing et al. (2003)
and Tsai (2005), they divide the concept of urban sprawl into three conditions: first, low
density development, and scattered everywhere to form a large city; secondly, there is a
separation between the inhabitants of the population and the place where they work; and
thirdly, the lack of opened space for social support functions. In view of Galster et al. (2001),
Resnik (2010) and Wassmer (2008), they argue that the concept of urban sprawl is a low
density land use in development involving a combination of eight things namely: density,
convergence, grouping, connectivity, concentration, mixed development, neighborhood and
extension. According to Brueckner and Fansler (2001), Katiman Rostam et al. (2010), Livanis
et al. (2006) and McGee (2010), urban sprawl are a low-density physical form of a large
urban area and extend to the periphery, usually using agricultural land for urban area
expansion purposes. In fact, Peiser (2001) argues that urban sprawl should look at the urban
form, land use, impact and density of development within a city. Therefore, the urban sprawl
operational definition must refers to a city that evolves from a high density center to form a
low density area towards its periphery based on its own phases involving the historical
outbreak of a city. In fact, the outbreak of a city is not the same to the others. Hence, this
article aims to discuss the outcome of a review of a number of literature in relation to the
urban sprawl overview globally, and in the context of Malaysia particularly.

Global Perspectives

A common aspects found in earlier works on the concept of urban sprawl are more referring
to the boundary expansion of a city. This is because each city has its own boundary expansion
process and has implications for different societies. Hence, the urban sprawl in the viewpoints
of the study have to look into two different worlds, namely developed and developing

1
Corresponding author: College of Law, Government and International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Email: sh.rokiah@uum.edu.my

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 Journal of Advance Research in Social Science & Humanities ISSN: 2208-2387

countries as these two parts of the world have their own pattern of development. This method
is considered appropriate as Anthony (2004), Byun and Esparza (2005), Costley (2006) and
Kumar et al. (2011) as each municipality of the world is different in its culture and priorities
in shaping the community.

The urban areas of developed territories like the United States have experienced a disastrous
situation that affected the lifestyle or value of its inhabitants. According to Lewyn (2000), in
1900 every city in the United States experienced significant population growth. Until the end
of the Second World War, the number of people living in metropolitan areas reached 70
percent. In Razin's (1998) view, Razin and Rosentraub (2000) and Resnik (2010), congestion
in the city and the deterioration of the value of life forced the urban community to slowly go
out to the periphery to enjoy a better life. In the last 40 years, urban population has shrunk by
up to 60 percent. For example, St. Louis recorded a population reduction of up to 60 per cent,
Buffalo by 45 per cent and Cleveland by 45 per cent by the end of 1950. Residents living in
urban areas typically consist of immigrants migrating to seek out sustenance like in New York
and Los Angelos. In 1990, 31 out of 37 big cities in the United States had poor communities
below the poverty line of the country. In fact, in 1960 the city centers in the United States
covered one-third of the country's poor. Such was the case in Resnik's (2010) view that it
received attention from the 45th US deputy president at that time, Albert Arnold (Al) Gore, Jr.
(January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001) and a group of environmentalists. He criticized the
incidence of urban disasters because of various problems such as weakening fundamentals,
financial problems due to increased transportation costs, rising family ties and so on the
lifestyle of the community problems.

According to Couch et al. (2005), in the 1980s Britain had an average build-up rate of up to
38 per cent and increased to 55 per cent in 2000. The city's boom is a government policy
impact that targets urban growth of up to 60 per cent. Consequently, the cities of the
southwestern United Kingdom which were once industrial zones were used as housing to
accommodate the demands of urban dwellers. In fact, in 1960 until the early 1970s many new
areas were opened from squat settlements. The opening of a new area for housing was done as
in Liverpool making the government target 60 per cent urban development including housing
reached in 2001. However, around 2001 also saw more than 90 percent of new housing built
and occupied by urban dwellers. This implies that, the high demand for housing makes a city
scattered to the outskirts of the city center to make the city more engaged. The problem of the
town's overtaking problems has been gaining attention from the government as it has caused
problems in the urban management system, the eradication of agricultural lands and the
deterioration of society due to social problems, lost employment, environmental problems and
various neighborhood issues.

For developing countries, there is also no lag in urban sprawl such as India, China and
Malaysia. In India, the rapid development process is contributed by the business and
industrial sectors. According to Dutta (2012), census reports in India found that rapid
development took place was beyond the real expectations of nation-building projections.
Since independence in India since 1947 until 2001, the number of urban dwellers was 377
million and in 2011 increased by 27.81 percent. The increase in population either naturally or
from outside the area causes the city to be so crowded, the development is widespread and the
urban outburst widens. In view of Kumar et al. (2011) it has created many problems in urban
management systems such as lack of infrastructure, lack of space, economic opportunities,
property ownership and other community needs. For example, in Uttar Pradesh has
experienced land degradation, loss of forest, lack of basic facilities and the use of

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 Journal of Advance Research in Social Science & Humanities ISSN: 2208-2387

environmentally sensitive spaces. Such issues are an issue that needs to be addressed as the
urban outbursts can cause the deterioration of community values and various related matters.

Similarly with China, Ke et al. (2009) and Tong et al. (2010) argues that China's economy in
1979 to 2004 has maintained its growth of 10 percent annually contributed by various sectors
within the city. The rapid growth in the economy and followed by the physical city itself has
resulted in soaring land use up to three times over three decades. Land development grew
from 1984 to 8,842 sq km for 295 cities to 23,943 sq km for 287 cities in 2004. Although
there are areas that are not suitable for settlement, however, the urban sprawl finally creates a
security, identity and environment problem for every city involved. Increasingly serious
matter when demand for housing is rising which forces the government to provide urban
space for community dwellings. The city's boom has witnessed numerous problems related to
the lives of the people. For example, in terms of comfort, job opportunities that shrink in
certain sectors (such as agriculture and livestock), neighborhood problems and so on are
related to the lifestyle of urban dwellers.

Urban Sprawl Perspectives in Malaysia

The development of cities in Malaysia also has its own history and the intentions of the city as
well as philosophy are similar to other developed countries, namely to meet the need for
population growth and the rapid development of urban land use. According to Abdul Samad
Hadi (2010) and Abdul Samad Hadi et al. (2009), the urbanization process in Malaysia can be
divided into three phases, namely the initial city (nascent), the pseudo-township and the
mega-township. This early urban phase emphasizes on the establishment of small towns to
support local economic growth in the form of tin, plantation, community needs and the
English administrative center. The famous City State in the era such as Melaka was not
created as the basis of developing society, but rather to the government's administration and to
play a role in foreign relations. According to Khoo Kay Kim (1972), the community consists
only of farmers, fishermen, farm workers and miners who live habitually on the banks of the
river. Thus, this early-stage municipality is more than triggering the existence of a service-
shaped city rather than exposing the urban sprawl.

According to Abdul Samad Hadi (2010), the urban situation is changing as it enters the
second phase of the municipality known as pseudo or occurs after the Second World War
(1947-1970). After Japan retreated from Malaya, the British government regained control of
the administration by designing and implementing a better city management system.
Beginning from the Japanese period, the British government established a tin and rubber
processing plant to develop Malaya and cities began to grow slowly. Residents are also
portrayed in various sectors of employment such as government administration,
manufacturing, farm laborers, miners, fishermen, farmers, traders and others. Hence, the
socio-economic of multi-racial societies will be more focused on a sector or specialization
based on the economy. The pseudosal impact of the city has sparked cities outside Kuala
Lumpur like Petaling Jaya in the 1950s and along the road connecting Port Klang around the
1960s and early 1970s.

Similarly, cities for other states, apart from the Klang Valley area, have their own history
based on the arrangements determined by the British interests at that time of administration.
However, the city of Johor Bahru looks different because the role of the king in the English
colonial period is a matter of friendship, which eventually the state is not colonized just like

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 Journal of Advance Research in Social Science & Humanities ISSN: 2208-2387

any other states in Malaya. Most of Johor's prosperity can be seen directly through the success
of Sultan Abu Bakar. He tried to persuade British and Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in
agriculture. In fact, he showed a high tendency in the government's planning system so that
the state was synonymous with the services he donated. In fact, the city of Johor Bahru is
growing and growing after the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) was
established in 1946 with various development programs implemented in line with the
principle of consciousness of developing nations and country.

The third phase in the opinion of Abdul Samad Hadi (2010) is the emergence of a mega-
township area around the 1970s to date. Beginning in this decade, country development was
well organized throughout the country, primarily through the New Economic Policy (NEP) in
1970. This policy emphasized on national unity through two-pronged points of eradicating
poverty and restructuring the socio-economic of all races in order to establish a stable
country, harmonious and advanced. In fact, the economic development and community
development enjoyed today are among the services contributed by the NEP. As a result of this
policy, the birth of the manufacturing, services, construction, and so on industry has been
widespread in development compared to the first and second phases.

Cities across the country are expanding to accommodate the rapid economic growth,
population growth, housing demand and business needs to meet the demands of the people.
The urban sprawl occurs in a variety of circumstances either corridor by transport route,
provincial corridor, city size expansion, opening of a new city that is merged with existing
city and so on. The same happened to Johor Bahru City, starting from a small town as the
state government and capital city administration on January 1, 1896, expanded into a Town
Council in 1950. Subsequently, in April 1977 was appointed Municipal Council of Johor
Bahru and until 1 In January 1994, it was appointed as the City Council of Johor Bahru
because of his function being no longer just an administrative city.

Conclusions

Based on the discussion of urban sprawl through several cities in the context of developed and
developing countries, it appears to have a negative impact on the lives of the people.
According to Atkinson and Oleson (1996), Bier (2001), Cinyabuguma and McConnell (2013),
Hortas-Rico and Sole-Olle (2010) and Ding and Bingham (2000), the end of the urban sprawl
is transportation system efficiency, basic amenities, social control, ecosystem destruction,
flood events, air pollution, water pollution and so on. As such, Daniels (2001) and Goetz
(2013) suggest that studies related to the impacts of urban life should be taken as this aspect is
important in determining the harmony of the lives of the people following the urban sprawl.

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