"Sprawl is a Ponzi scheme and we the taxpayers are the ones left holding the empty bags."

But, but, but ...

URBAN WONK: The Fiscal Conservative's Case Against Sprawl, by Kaid Benfield (Atlantic Cities; originally published at NRDC's Switchboard)

 ... While my concern with sprawling growth patterns was rooted in their effect on the landscape, on the environment, and on severely compromised populations left behind, Chuck is all about the money. As Thoughts on Building Strong Towns makes quite clear, Chuck believes that sprawl is a Ponzi scheme and we the taxpayers are the ones left holding the empty bags. 

In fact, the lead chapters of the book are devoted to the Ponzi thesis, whereby municipalities chase outward growth to find new tax revenue that proves insufficient when the infrastructure needs repair; so they chase even more new growth to pay for the previous round, over and over, until the pattern chokes the economic life out of the place.