Poverty

• When people fled from big cities to the suburbs, what remained in the urban areas was poor households, failing schools and an aging infrastructure. Those neighborhoods became centers of high crime and extreme poverty. This happened not just in the city itself but in the outer-ring suburbs, which are closest to the city. The lack of resources and failing educational systems led to a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. It is attributed directly to sprawl.
  
  

Dependence on Cars

• Suburban sprawl can cut into people's quality of life. While the suburbs are often touted as ideal for raising a family, some disadvantages of sprawl are less time with the family. The dependence on the automobile and having to commute to work can take a lot of time out of the workday. As you are likely to be on the road with other commuters, this can lead to hours of sitting in rush-hour traffic during the week.
  
  

Environmental

• A serious disadvantage of sprawl is its environmental effects. When you build houses and plan communities, you also fragment the landscape. Many animals, including deer and raccoons, can usually adapt to the new landscape. Other creatures, such as rabbits, that require seclusion from predators are not so lucky.
  
  

Economics

• A crucial disadvantage of sprawl is economic costs. Taxpayers are ultimately responsible for financing the suburbs and suburban life. This includes taxes to fund new developments in those areas. It then becomes a choice of funding the sprawl or spending taxes in the urban areas that are in desperate need of money. Generally, the urban areas lose out as people are not willing or able to fund both.