In most regions, land use is driven by population growth. As more and more people need houses and services, the city grows outward to accommodate them.

This isn't the case in Erie and Niagara counties, however, where we have a condition that Mayor William Johnson of Rochester refers to as the "sprawl of stagnation" as opposed to a "sprawl of affluence." The population of these two counties peaked in 1970 at around 1.35 million people, and it has been declining ever since. As of the 2000 census, the population was down to 1.17 million, a loss of about 180,000 people. Government estimates show that it has continued to fall to about 1.14 million by 2006, a loss of more than 210,000 people.