These two images are typical rural sprawl compared with Central Manhattan, on the exact same scale. Now I'm not an expert on these matters, but something tells me pollution, traffic and logistical problems would be much, much worse is everyone had their own plot of land.
Someone that lived near an older relative burned tires for heat in the winter and they said it turned the snow black everywhere nearby.
OH DEAR GOD I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE SMELL.