Taxes and Urban Sprawl

A fine is a tax for doing something wrong. A tax is a fine for doing something well. Traditional methods of property taxation not only penalize property owners for improving their property but also encourages sprawl. Most of the was that this is happening is unintentional and there are several alternatives but it will take an overhaul of our current system to improve.
Towns and local communities generally plan their growth and objectives on the basis of revenues taken in from property taxes. For communities with traditional outlook planning more money means more growth. This new growth w…