First, DON'T FORGET TO POST YOUR FAMILY CASE FOR "SMART GROWTH" AND AGAINST SPRAWL BY NEXT MONDAY (9/29). Check the previous blog post for a description of what I want you to do, and as I added yesterday, please put those three points in context or provide an introduction to them. I don't want just 3 points. We will review these on Tuesday (9/30) and determine which is the best case. Also on Tuesday, I will begin to talk about some of the main theoretical perspectives on the city, and once we wrap that up, we will move on to our first book, Heat Wave.
I had a few final observations about the most recent trends in urbanization in the U.S. We wrapped up sprawl on Thursday, so let me add the following:
F. In this chapter the authors also cover some other recent urban developments which I just want to touch on.
1. First, perhaps the ultimate in terms of decentralization is the development of so-called "EDGE CITIES." ( a term coined by Joel Garreau)
a.) "An edge city is a new, sprawling, middle-class, automobile-dependent center typically located at the fringe of an older urban area, at the intersection of major highways where little except villages or farmland existed three decades earlier." (p.118)
b.) Some 200 such edge cities have developed such as Tyson's Corners, VA. Joel Garreau interviewed some Tysons Corners' residents and got a very dim view --
"They described the area as plastic, a hodge podge, Disneyland (used as a pejorative), and sterile. They said it lacked livability, civilization, community, neighborhood, even a soul." Not very flattering. Perhaps due to its newness, low-density, auto dependent.
2. Second, the rise of GATED COMMUNITIES (among the first of which was Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island) -- over 20,000 today; 9 million people. 80% of new urban housing developments are gated. (also referred to as "Common Interest Developments")
a.) Represents a withdrawal or secession from the city. Privatized functions such as sanitation and security. Trying to insulate themselves from the city and not participate in solving city problems. Reinforces class and racial segregation. Homeowners' associations impose often ridiculous rules to protect property values. (Whatever happened to our belief in individuality and creativity?)
b.) Professor of Public Policy, Robert Reich, refers to these gated communities as "privately policed fortress communities."
G. Finally, (as discussed in the handout and on the video) the authors present the case study of Portland, Oregon, which appears to have been successfully resisting some of these trends, especially the negative aspects of sprawl.
That's all for now.
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City expansion, or urban sprawl, is effecting our nation far greater than we think. The effects of reckless building and land destruction are only seen as a problem by a small percentage of the population. The others fail to see the domino effects of such expansion. It is only in the hands of city councils that these problems can be stopped. Three of the more important problems with current sprawl that will effect future generations are: the agricultural effects, economic effects, and its effects on the environment.
First there are the agricultural effects of sprawl, during the development of cities governments spend millions of dollars to create many structures that appeal to the suburban lifestyle. For example, laws are passed to build space-consuming shopping centers, parking lots, strip malls, etc. although these things may be somewhat of a necessity, the construction plans often disregard the negatives. Due to laws that state that these businesses must have the maximum number of parking available, leaving many of these places surrounded by a sea of cement. They also tend to be a fairly distanced from homes and other businesses. All of this results in the destroying of natural landscapes.
The next reason why sprawl is a problem is its economic effects. Builders spend millions of dollars on acres of land, which they simply tear up for the construction of large spacey homes. Many of the neighborhoods, if not gated, are built on large plots which over a period of time grow and expand; only increasing the problem of land destruction. Although these homes seem affordable and resemble a great buy, in the long run they become increasingly expensive.
Lastly, are the problems of congestion and pollution. Because of the great distances between neighborhoods, businesses, schools, etc., there is an increased need of automobiles. This leads to more cars on the road and inevitably more roadway systems. Not only does this add on to congestion, it causes more chemical emission into the air. Also, adding on to pollution are the chemical fertilizers used to enhance the look of the lawns in these new overflowing communities.
Due to the demand of the increase in personal space, urban sprawl is very appealing to today’s society. With dense city streets follows over-crowding, crime, and smaller living spaces. However, we feel that, with new and innovative government plans, we can put an end to reckless urban growth, restore city values, provide saving of land, as well as appealing to growing families.
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