Urban sprawl

Urban sprawl is when cities or towns spread out and get bigger. Think of it like Lego blocks: when people want to build something new in a city, instead of adding it on top of something else or nearby, they build it far away from the existing buildings, so it looks like the blocks are all spread out. This spreading out uses up a lot of land and also means that people have to drive longer distances between buildings, which can cause traffic problems. It can also mean that people don't get to see as much nature around them.