From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishurban sprawlˌurban ˈsprawl noun [uncountable] SGTOWNthe spread of city buildings and houses into an area that used to be countryside, or the area in which this has happened planning policies designed to limit the growth of urban sprawl
Examples from the Corpus
urban sprawl• These powers were permissive, and in most of Britain urban sprawl and ribbon development continued more or less unabated.• Ribbon development, urban sprawl and scattered housing were all brought under reasonable control.• This factor had considerable importance in engendering urban sprawl.• If you want the definition of urban sprawl, look at one-acre or three-acre lots.• Nor are the results of urban sprawl always aesthetic.• They soon left the urban sprawl of roundabouts, sodium streetlights and Wimpey homes and Dexter began to speed along country lanes.• A fictionalised countryside comes back to brighten the dark heart of the urban sprawl.• It negates home-field advantage for home-grown retailers and contributes to urban sprawl. 