Starting from the well-known fact that urban sprawl is a driver of several complex and interrelated challenges for cities, evaluating the various economic, social and environmental consequences associated with the suburban expansion is an essential step towards efficient territorial planning and sustainable growth. To that end, this research is focused on understanding the implications and inevitable consequences related to urban growth in Iasi's Metropolitan Area within the last decade. We also aim to identify differences in local management among the rural communities while exploring the impact of those differences on the city. In order to pinpoint the predominant patterns at the metropolitan level, our research includes document analysis, data from a questionnaire-based survey, and remotely sensed datasets. The results were captured into a multitude of maps by using specific GIS-based techniques.