Urbanization is a continuous phenomenon analyzed from different perspectives. Cultural and legal differences put a serious fingerprint on the urban planning, and urban models vary around the world. There are also different definitions for concepts commonly used in urban planning. Geographical Information Systems, referred thereafter as GIS, were extensively used for various urban planning approaches. Urban sprawl follows a distinct pattern in America. This pattern affects the shape of the cities and the location of different facilities and services. This study uses GIS to identify some of the characteristic features of American and Romanian urbanism using Bucharest, Romania and Columbia and Spartanburg, SC as an example. This example indicated that GIS tools might be used to assess possible environmental impacts and resolve current urban problems.