Title: After graduation
1After graduation
- Describe your
- House
- House Location
- Yard
- Neighborhood
- Town/City
2Ecological and Economic Consequences of Suburban
Sprawl
- Ecological
- Social
- Economic
3Change in Population and Built Area
1970-1990Location Change in Change in
Population Built-up AreaNew York
Metro 8 65Chicago Metro 4
46Cleveland Metro -8 33
Huntington Park, Cleveland
4Major Ecological, Social and Economic Costs of
Sprawl Loss of farmland, forest, wetlands and
other open spaces
- Pennsylvania lost one million acres of cropland,
forest and open space from 1992-1997 to suburban
development. - York County, with some of the best agricultural
land in the state, lost 30 of its farmland from
1970-2000. - For every 100 acres of new residential
development, an additional 38 acres is lost to
roads and 18 acres to utilities, resulting in
1.56 acres of land conversion for every 1 acre of
residential development. - Loss of wildlife habitat, fragmentation of
forestland - Loss of open space, aesthetic qualities.
5Major Ecological, Social and Economic Costs of
Sprawl Loss of ecosystem functions and services
associated with land conversion.
- Increased runoff from paved areas, flooding.
- Decreased water quality due to non-point runoff
from parking lots, roads, suburban lawns.
- Decreased infiltration due to conversion of
permeable areas to parking lots and roads, leads
to reductions in groundwater supply.
6Major Ecological, Social and Economic Costs of
SprawlIncreased travel costs, traffic, air
pollution, and health
- Pittsburgh area vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
doubled from 1970-1990 - Los Angeles traffic jams cost the regional
economy 12 billion/year in lost productivity - Less walking increased obesity
7Major Ecological, Social and Economic Costs of
Sprawl Infrastructure
- Higher infrastructure costs highways, sewage,
water, schools. Results in higher taxes for ALL
residents - Social segregation, loss of community
8Smart Growth Policies as an Alternative to
Suburban Sprawl
- Make developers and their clients (not taxpayers)
pay for the expansion of infrastructure into
un-built areas - Balance government investment dollars between
suburban and existing urban areas, including
balancing spending on mass transit and
highway/road construction - Promote more REGIONAL planning including
development of growth boundaries
9New Urbanism as an Alternative to Suburban Sprawl
- Multiple use zoning allows residential and
commercial activities to take place in the same
area - Higher density housing reduces the amount of land
needed to support a given population - Sidewalks, bike paths, nearby stores and
community gathering areas increase social
interaction. - Houses designed with reduced setbacks, front
porches and shared common areas to increase
social interactions.
10Sprawl
Inefficient use of land Increased roads Loss of
habitat
11Industrial Sprawl
Distant from homes Uses valuable land Promotes
private auto use
12Livable neighborhoods
13Walkable communitiesMixed zoning
14Green spaces
15Inviting public areas