After graduation

1
After graduation

• Describe your
• House
• House Location
• Yard
• Neighborhood
• Town/City

2
Ecological and Economic Consequences of Suburban
Sprawl

• Ecological
• Social
• Economic

3
Change 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
4
Major 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.

5
Major 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.

6
Major 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

7
Major 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

8
Smart 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

9
New 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.

10
Sprawl
Inefficient use of land Increased roads Loss of
habitat
11
Industrial Sprawl
Distant from homes Uses valuable land Promotes
private auto use
12
Livable neighborhoods
13
Walkable communitiesMixed zoning
14
Green spaces
15
Inviting public areas