Though we often hear city residents complain of crowded commutes, crowded classrooms and crowded rental markets, there is a growing body of research to support the notion that higher density actually contributes to a higher quality of life.

Measuring Sprawl 2014 is Smart Growth America’s follow-up to the organization’s own 2002 landmark study on sprawl, and updates their research by evaluating the development patterns of 221 US metro areas. The report identifies the country’s least and most sprawling areas, and incorporates research that illustrates the relationship between sprawl and quality of life. According to the study, “metro areas with more compact, connected neighborhoods are associated with better overall economic, health and safety outcomes—on average a better quality of life for everyone in that community.”

A Sprawl Index Score was assigned to each metro area based on development density, land use mix, activity centering and street connectivity. The average score for the 221 areas is 100, with areas ranking above 100 being more dense and connected. The New York City metropolitan area ranked number 1 with a Sprawl Index Score of 203, and the Atlantic City and Trenton, New Jersey metro areas also fell within the top 10. Connecticut’s biggest metro areas, however, ranked much lower, with scores between 115 and 120.

The report also includes a discussion on several model cities and the zoning and planning policies that helped boost their scores into the top rankings. Trenton is featured as a model for street accessibility, receiving particular praise for its Transportation Master Plan and its transportation investment policies.

According to the study, by focusing on these index rankings, “The researchers found that as Sprawl Index scores improved—that is, as areas became less sprawling—several quality of life factors improved along with them”:

• greater economic opportunity
• less spending on housing and transportation
• more transportation options
• and improved safety, health and longevity.

Beyond simply ranking the nation’s metro areas, the report ultimately aims to help shift the long-lived notion that density is less desirable. As this conversation evolves at the local level, residents begin to “recognize the health, safety and economic benefits of better development strategies,” which pushes decision-makers toward “choosing to create more connections, transportation choices and walkable neighborhoods in their communities.”