Once There Were Greenfields: How Urban Sprawl Is Undermining Americas's Environment, Economy, and Social Fabric

Once There Were Greenfields describes the environmental, economic, and social impacts of sprawl development. It also proposes guiding principles for a new kind of "smart growth."

F. Kaid Benfield is an environmental attorney and director of transportation and smart growth policy for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. He has also served the organization as director of its land program, director of its forestry and agriculture projects, and legal affairs coordinator. Prior to coming to NRDC, Kaid worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and in private legal practice. He is a graduate of Emory University and Georgetown University Law Center and the author of numerous publications related to environmental law and policy, including Reaping the Revenue Code: Why We Need Sensible Tax Reform for Sustainable Agriculture (with Justin R. Ward and Anne E. Kinsinger: Natural Resources Defense Council, 1989). He is a member of several steering committees and boards relating to transportation and smart growth.

Matthew D. Raimi is a transportation policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC. He holds a master's degree in regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA from the University of Rochester. Prior to coming to NRDC, Matt worked for the Surface Transportation Policy Project, ICF Kaiser, and as a consultant to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's Department of Transportation and Parking. Among his publications are Five Years of Progress: 110 Communities Where ISTEA is Making a Difference (with Joe DiStefano: Surface Transportation Policy Project, 1996), and several articles concerning transportation and land use.

Donald D.T. Chen manages research and directs the smart growth program for the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP), in Washington, DC. He has authored many reports on transportation pricing, public health, and the performance of public investments in transportation, including The Going Rate: What It Really Costs to Drive (World Resources Institute, 1992); Roadmap Unfolding on Travel Efficiency (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1994); Getting A Fair Share: An Analysis of Federal Transportation Spending (STPP, 1996); and Mean Streets: Pedestrian Safety and Reform of the Nation's Transportation Law (STPP and Environmental Working Group, 1997). Prior to his tenure at STPP, Don worked for years as a community organizer on issues relating to hunger and homelessness in New Haven, Connecticut. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and master's degree in environmental studies from Yale University.