Lesson 96: Urban Sprawl
In this lesson, we will be looking at urban sprawl and
its effects,
as well as a new concept called Smart Growth designed to limit urban sprawl.
Urban sprawl is a term used to
describe the large, far-flung urban-suburban network of low-density residential
areas, shopping malls, and industrial parks linked by multilane highways.
Urban sprawl did not always exist in the United States. Previously, people
lived in communities they could walk to. It was only after World War II and the
mass production of cars that people could move further away from cities into
suburbs, creating urban sprawl. The growth around cities did not have any plan
and just exploded, leading to congested highways and more development outside
of cities.
Urban sprawl is characterized by low-density development, sharp distinctions
between home and work, and the lack of a downtown area.
Some of the largest urban sprawl areas are in
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, NC, and
Atlanta, GA.
The building boom that spurred on urban sprawl in
the 1990s burst by the early 2000s. Housing prices fell and interest rates were
higher. Areas with the most booming housing markets before the recession now
have the most underwater mortgages -- parts of California, Florida, and the
SouthWest.
While urban development first gave more Americans opportunities to buy homes,
unrestricted urban sprawl has had serious effects on the environment.
Impacts include:
- Air pollution
- Loss of agricultural land
- Loss of landscape and wildlife
- Congested highways
- More gasoline and fossil fuel consumption
- Less physical activity and more health risks
A new concept has been gaining popularity called smart growth. Smart growth
involves purposefully develop housing and neighborhoods that are
environmentally sustainable. Some principles include having more community
engagement and education, creating walkable areas and attractive communities,
preserving open spaces and natural beauty, and providing different
transportation options.
Oregon passed a law in
1970 to
limit urban sprawl. New initiatives for smart growth include retrofitting
existing suburbs and building new smaller towns, as well as repurposing areas
near suburban malls and businesses into walkable spaces and livable communities.