Today I am going to be discussing "urban sprawl." During my class today we had 2.5 hours to research urban sprawl and come up with our own conclusions on whether it was good or bad. (This is the same information as was in my PowerPoint)
This post will include: what it is, causes, the pros and cons, solutions, how it affects interior designers, and whether or not I think it is good or bad.
What is Urban Sprawl?
- “the spreading of urban developments (as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20sprawl)
- “the migration of a population from populated towns and cities to low density residential development over more and more rural land.” (http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-urban-sprawl.php)
- Therefore, urban sprawl is, in my opinion, the spread a populated town or city by developing rural towns and cities.
The 4 Main Causes of Urban Sprawl
Governments
“The increase in demand for housing farther from inner cities is partly due to mistaken government policies.” (http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba459) Zoning Restrictions will often result in sprawl because of the high- density of residential construction and the use of large parking lots for commercial use.
Population Growth
“A sharp increase in residents beyond the capacity of nearby urban centers necessitates the creation of new communities. As the regional population continues to increase, communities begin to spread farther and farther away from city centers.” (http://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-urban-sprawl-2577.html)
The Demands of People
“Economists Edward Glaeser and Matthew Kahn (2003) have shown that even in the absence of any government policies that encourage sprawl, low-density suburban communities still would [multiply] because many prefer living in areas with less traffic congestion, larger lot sizes and cheaper housing costs.” (http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba459)
Lack of Planning
“If officials in densely populated urban centers plan in isolation without consulting nearby communities, the result is sometimes poorly planned developments on the outskirts of urban centers.” (http://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-urban-sprawl-2577.html)
Pros & Cons of Urban Sprawl:
Pros:
- Less crowded cities because people can more easily spread out
- Affordability - houses are less expensive in towns compared to tiny condos in big cities (in regards to square footage)
- Creates more jobs by providing different types of buildings for different people to design/build/ furnish/live in/work in etc.
Cons:
- More pollution because of vehicle transportation from one end of a city to another
- Destroying undeveloped land that houses farms and different wildlife habitats
- Higher taxes because the more dispersed land we have, the more government land (i.e. government offices) we need.
Solutions:
1. An expanded green belt
“The forested area of the Greenbelt alone can offset the equivalent of 27 million cars driven over one year.” (http://www.greenbelt.ca/about_the_greenbelt)
“More than 90% of Ontarians agree that the Greenbelt is one of the most important contributions to the future of the province.” (http://www.greenbelt.ca/about_the_greenbelt)
2. Implementing “planned development”
“This takes into account all the needs and potential problems of a given area before the sprawl occurs.” (http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/urban-sprawl-pros-vs-cons-11334.html)
3. Support locally owned business to reduce pollution
“On average, food travels 2500 km before it reaches our plates. Greenbelt-grown food travels less than 250km” (http://www.greenbelt.ca/about_the_greenbelt)
4. Revive currently existing abandoned spaces
In my hometown of Dundas, they took the old Dundas District High School - originally built in 1929 - and re-purposed it into 44 unique loft-style condos. The part I really like is that they kept the exterior and only fixed windows and the brick work, but kept the old-school charm. They even kept the 2 different entrances (one for the boys, and one for the girls – See picture below)
5. Add more green space
“In a study at the University of Exeter Medical School in England, published in January in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers used data from a British household survey to conclude that people who moved to areas with lots of green space had better mental health overall, compared with those who moved to neighborhoods with less greenery.” (http://nationswell.com/5-ways-to-fix-urban-sprawl/)
How does Urban Sprawl Affect Interior Designers?
Urban Sprawl affects interior designers both positively and negatively.
Positive Affects:
1. We have to be more creative in our designs. We also have to be more aware of sustainability and how it affects the land and the people using the land.
2. We have to think about how we can reuse products in a creative way
Negative Affects:
We have less space to work with when designing a building as governments are trying to cut down on urban sprawl. Which results in building vertical and not horizontal. This results in lack of “building uniqueness,” especially in residential design.
We have a bigger area where we could be working, which means more commuting to different areas of the city, resulting in more pollution.
My Thoughts on Urban Sprawl:
Urban sprawl is damaging the future of our planet and our health. It is not only causing us to plough over farm country, but also causing people to commute farther and farther to and from work. Thus causing the air we breathe to be contaminated by pollutants from vehicles. And by getting rid of natural land, it is becoming harder and harder for the vegetation to get rid of these pollutants and give us clean air. As a result, causing us to acquire negative health outcomes. It also is forcing us to eat less locally grown food and more processed food, or food that has been on a vehicle for who knows how long. It is getting harder and harder to find local food for a decent price which means those living on a strict budget are forced to eat food that is not as healthy for them.
We need to take back our land that has been taken away from us by the large, consumer-driven companies. Once we are able to do this, we will be able to live a happier, healthier life for our generation, and the generations after us.
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