  We introduce classes of graphs with bounded expansion as a generalization of
both proper minor closed classes and degree bounded classes. Such classes are
based on a new invariant, the greatest reduced average density (grad) of G with
rank r, grad r(G). For these classes we prove the existence of several
partition results such as the existence of low tree-width and low tree-depth
colorings. This generalizes and simplifies several earlier results (obtained
for minor closed classes).
