Suburban Sprawl: A Technological Problem?

Controversies Over Suburban GrowthIs all growth good? Environmental, infrastructure, racism, urban ills,

economics, land use

Limiting growth Zoning, green boundaries, population caps

Social valuesPlanned developmentPublic versus private goodShrinking farm lands/growing populations

LA: Poster Child for Sprawl

Presentation OutlinePresentation OutlineKey terms

New crossroads of fringe communities

Impacts of suburban growth

Sprawl issues

Solutions for managing growth

Key TermsKey Terms

Fringe community: a neighborhood that exists outside of the city and has fields and forests surrounding it.Suburbia: collective group of communities that exist on the edge of a large city.

Key TermsKey Terms

Sprawl: the development of rural land for residential use.

Anti-sprawl: a view supported by individuals who object to continued spreading at the edge of cities.

Why Have Suburbs Become so Popular?

Wide open spacesThe “American Dream”Neighboring fields and forestsIllusion of semi-rural life “Farmettes”

Suburbs is where “builders” build homesInner-city flightSearch for the “Good Life”

Suburban TrendsSuburban TrendsTechnologically dependant on cityDependant on public investment in roads/schoolsSeparated by affluence/class distinction More exclusive developments Earthen barriers Privacy fences Gated/fenced communities (Rosemont)

The allusion of a rural lifestyle without the discomfortsPopulation growth moving to the suburbsMetropolitan areas see suburban development as progress

The Problem in the “Burbs”

Loss of open space, traffic congestion, crowded schools and air pollution from auto emissions are symptoms of the growing national disease known as urban sprawl.

Impacts of Suburban Growth

More people and less farm landLarge lots increase home costsPressure on school systemsNeed for new infrastructureEnvironmental damageEcological damageWildlife damage Or, extinction

Rising property taxes

Impacts of Suburban Growth (cont.)

Strain on citiesStrain on nature (i.e., water)Greater traffic congestionLoss of open spaceLoss of small town ambiance Bringing crime to small towns

Lot’s of grass and no place to playIncreased need for cars More auto pollution

Should community residentsabsorb growth or put up barriers to new development?

Statistics (1970-1990)

30,000 square miles (19 million acres) of rural lands became urbanUrban density decreased by 23% Costs the city core

U.S. population increased by 22% Number miles driven

increased by 98% Number cars/trucks

increased by 20 million Miles driven growing 8 times

faster than pop.

Problem: Construction Runoff

Problem: Automobiles

After WWII urban planning separated shopping, homes, businesses, work/home, recreation areas, industrial areas.

Making people dependant on cars

The Geography of Nowhere (Kunstler)

Kunstler traces the development of our modern "car culture" to the birth of the suburbs as a pastoral escape from the tenaments and factories of early 20th century cities. The industrial age brought about many smelly, noisy factories, often built in the heart of the city. Small suburban communities--serviced primarily by train--were green and quiet escapes from the dirty and overcrowded cities. Roads in these communities were narrow, and mostly

served to get people and goods to and from the railroad station on the edge of town.

Homes for Cars

To illustrate how different things are now, imagine if we had to run train tracks to every single building in town, and imagine storing railroad cars in front of all the houses in town.We've done just that with our cars.

How Did the Government Contribute?

Major government policies helped bring about our dependence on cars. During the Great Depression, the government

sought to spur economic growth by investing in new highways.

Created immediate jobs during their construction Created secondary economic boost by promoting the

sale of new cars. Caused demise of railroads and other public

transportation. We can see the results today--cars are everywhere, but

travel by train is almost unthinkable, and other public transportation systems are expensive by comparison and plagued with problems.

Problems-Solutions and More Problems

Guaranteed loans for new homes also contributed to suburban growth Again, these loans spurred the economy.

Increased demand for new home construction Resulting in construction jobs and demands for raw materials. However, such programs subsidized new building at the

expense of existing homes and buildings. With no money to repair and upgrade older homes,

downtowns struggled to survive. At the same time, more and more people moved to artificially-

in-expensive new homes on the outskirts of town.

Dependence on Cars

The combination of new roads, new cars and new home construction led to an increasing dependence on automobiles. New suburban developments often ignore other modes

of transport to provide for the safe movement of cars. In fact, modern roads are designed primarily for the

safety and comfort of high-speed motor traffic. Pedestrian traffic is considered a nuisance and danger

to the safe and efficient movement of cars.

Phoenix: A Case Study

Overwhelming Mother NatureA fragile water supplyOverwhelming needs for infrastructure developmentSchools, roads, public services

Pollution/unclean air daysAnimal encountersCongestion

Some Argue that Suburbs Aren’t the Problem

U.S. experiences more housing development during 1920-1950Actually housing utilizes a small part of overall land use in U.S.Less than 5% of the nation is developed¾ of the population live on 3.5% of landOnly ¼ of farmland loss since 1945 is due to the development of suburbs

Suburbs Aren’t the Problem

Car usage is the problemA mobile societyMost suburb development costs are passed on to home buyersSuburbs aren’t responsible for crumbling cities People left cities because

they were crumbling

Management of GrowthGrowth (urban) boundaries Have not slowed growth

Managed growth 19 States manage development

Green beltsMass transit developmentProtection and preservation of farmland, forestland, and natural areasEducating the public about growth management

Minimizing Sprawl

Principles that can help minimize sprawl and encourage smarter growth. Open Space Protection: Sprawl is carving up our

open spaces, wildlife habitat, wetlands and farm land.

Land Use Planning: Sound planning can help communities grow efficiently by encouraging development where infrastructure (roads, schools and water treatment facilities) already exists. This type of planning helps keep city centers alive and established communities vital.

Portland

Minimizing Sprawl

Principles that can help minimize sprawl and encourage smarter growth (cont.). Transportation Planning: Sprawl spreads out

everything, making trips longer and driving mandatory.

The average American driver spends 443 hours every year in his/her car.

That's 55 eight-hour work days, or 11 weeks of work! Community Revitalization: States must invest

in their downtowns and inner suburbs. Some state decision-makers are starting to understand that this is part of the equation.

Typical Suburban Development

High Density Suburban Development

Mixed Use Development

Pedestrian Friendly Development

Suburban Decay!

What we want versus what we buySuburbs are 2/3 grass and children have no place to play except streetsThe cycle from birth to “pulling down” has shortenedMany suggest the “village” 5-6 units per acre (versus 1-2) Multiple types of homes (detached, row houses,

apartments, flats above garages, shops at the center Seaside Florida, Celebration, Florida Traditional”little town” America

Ways to Fix the SuburbsGive up the big lawnsBring back the corner storeMake streets narrow (suburbs are for cars/not people)Drop the Cul-de-sacDraw boundaries for growthHide the garageMix housing typesPlant trees curbside

Ways to Fix the SuburbsPlan for mass transit

Make town or village centers

Shrink parking lots

Link work to the home

Turn down the lights

Think green

The Start of a New Trend

“The idea that urban living is a second-best choice is not one that strikes a chord with growing numbers of people under age 40. Nor any longer with many of those much older for whom the bright lights (and public transport) of cities are so attractive. “With so much happening downtown, who wants to live in the sticks?”