Consequences of urban sprawl and designing for the automobile

From CBS11 in Dallas is this nighttime view from space. It's of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This is the text that accompanies the photograph:

"When trying to explain to a visitor what it means to "drive across town" save this image on your phone so you can show it to them. This is the Metroplex at night. The yellow line is the outline of Connecticut."

Besides evidence of extreme light pollution, it shows how wasteful a car-dominated transportation system is to the use of land. Distances can become extreme and people end up sitting in their cars for most of the day just to accomplish routine commutes and errands.