Changing demographics affecting sprawl

Demographic changes including population growth, racial/ethnic diversity, aging, expansion of urban areas, and migration to rural areas can bring significant population increases in particular areas that may encourage sprawl. Areas where the pressures for sprawl are likely to be the greatest include the periphery of urban areas, popular retirement destinations, places where seasonal homes are common, areas that are attractive to amenity migrants, and areas where new businesses will locate. Sprawl and efforts to reduce or ameliorate its impacts can influence or be influenced by the management of forest resources across an urban to rural spectrum. With sprawl the forest resource may undergo significant changes, including different owners managing it, for different purposes, and in a very different social context than was previously the case. The extent and implications of these changes depends on the type of sprawl and how policy makers, planners, mangers, and residents respond to it.