The myth: "The market wants sprawl."

Sprawl is not propelled simply by market forces. The land development and home building business sectors would have us believe they are simply responding to the public demand for housing in general and suburban homes in particular. They lie. The housing market is remarkable because supply influences demand much more than demand affects supply. What this means is that although there is a huge fraction of Americans who do not want to live in suburban sprawl un-places, they have little choice in the market. These people want to live in true communities that are walkable, loaded with parks and other greenspaces near their homes, and where they can greatly reduce their car use.

- Joel Hirschhorn, Sprawl Kills: How Blandburbs Steal Your Time, Health and Money