Which characteristics are indicative of urban sprawl?

Urban sprawl refers to the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over more and more rural land at the periphery, which often leads to various socio-economic and environmental challenges. The correct option captures a holistic view of this phenomenon.

The presence of abundant shopping malls in suburban areas signifies that development is taking place away from the urban core, catering to a growing population in these expanded areas. Unclear town boundaries suggest a lack of defined limits to urban development, making it difficult to distinguish where one community ends and another begins, a hallmark of sprawl. Lastly, dense and congested traffic is a direct result of urban sprawl as more residents living further from city centers typically rely on personal vehicles for commuting, leading to increased traffic congestion.

While the other choices mention individual characteristics related to urban sprawl, none encapsulate the full breadth of the phenomenon as effectively as the chosen answer. Unclear town boundaries alone do not fully indicate sprawl without context, and while having multiple shopping malls or congested traffic can point towards urban issues, they do not simultaneously represent the broader impacts and indicators of urban sprawl without reference to the other characteristics.