How does urban sprawl differ from urbanization?

Urban sprawl is characterized by the uncontrolled, often haphazard expansion of urban areas into adjacent rural land. This typically involves the development of residential, commercial, and industrial facilities that increase the footprint of a city beyond its traditional boundaries, leading to low-density, automobile-dependent communities.

The notion of urban sprawl highlights the lack of planning often associated with this growth, resulting in issues such as traffic congestion, loss of green spaces, and environmental degradation. It contrasts with the concept of urbanization, which refers to the overall increase in the population of urban areas, typically driven by migration from rural to urban settings, and can occur in a more controlled manner through intentional urban planning and development.

Thus, the essence of option D captures the essence of urban sprawl's nature as an uncontrolled expansion into rural land, distinguishing it from the more structured or planned growth represented by urbanization.