... Not rocket science ... You reduced a complex problem to a simple short term solution. Too many people act like we have infinite land, Earth isn't getting any bigger. There are also consequences to policies that assume you can always build out further and further. By building on more farm land, you might reduce the amount of grown food and produce more chemical food. This leads to obesity. Which means people need more room... etc. Living further from your job means your commute is longer, meaning we need to get more foreign oil.

If America has 2 Billion people in 100 years, building a little further away won't work, it doesn't scale. Cities need to build better cities that allow people to have the space they need and get to the jobs they have. Where they don't need to be commuting 2 hours each way.