The Effects of Urban Sprawl on America's Largest Cities
Looking back in the past century in the history of the United States, the nation has experienced a tremendous amount of urban growth with the creation of numerous large mecca cities, interconnected highways and a boom with the ever-changing technology that becomes more available to society. While technology has simplified and helped our nation tremendously, this is just one aspect of the issue of urban sprawl in big cities across America.
In recent years, the rapid expansion of metropolitan areas has been termed “urban sprawl,” which refers to a complex pattern of land use, transportation, and social and economic development. The broad phenomenon of sprawl is a variety of issues related to land use, transportation, urban and regional design, and planning. As a result, critics often argue that sprawl has certain disadvantages including: the loss of farmlands and wildlife habitats, high car and technology dependence, air pollution and health hazards, increased and higher per-person infrastructure costs. This essay examines the effects urban sprawl has had on many large and rapid growing cities in California, Wisconsin and Georgia and some of the measures state and city governments are taking in order to help reduce the current effects of urban sprawl.
One of the most affected environments would be America's farmlands. Farmlands are being destroyed due to the creation of new highways, fringe industrial parks, and new sprawled housing developments. Since farmlands are being reduced, the ability to produce food, fiber, and timber has experienced a decline. In addition, the higher tax rates and costs associated with urban sprawl have forced farmers to close down business and sell their farms to companies seeking to develop new housing areas. The loss of farmlands and farmers selling out to contracting companies is a problem that has severely affected the state of Wisconsin. In 1950, Wisconsin had roughly about 23.6 million acres of farmland and as of 2002 only had
In recent years, the rapid expansion of metropolitan areas has been termed “urban sprawl,” which refers to a complex pattern of land use, transportation, and social and economic development. The broad phenomenon of sprawl is a variety of issues related to land use, transportation, urban and regional design, and planning. As a result, critics often argue that sprawl has certain disadvantages including: the loss of farmlands and wildlife habitats, high car and technology dependence, air pollution and health hazards, increased and higher per-person infrastructure costs. This essay examines the effects urban sprawl has had on many large and rapid growing cities in California, Wisconsin and Georgia and some of the measures state and city governments are taking in order to help reduce the current effects of urban sprawl.
One of the most affected environments would be America's farmlands. Farmlands are being destroyed due to the creation of new highways, fringe industrial parks, and new sprawled housing developments. Since farmlands are being reduced, the ability to produce food, fiber, and timber has experienced a decline. In addition, the higher tax rates and costs associated with urban sprawl have forced farmers to close down business and sell their farms to companies seeking to develop new housing areas. The loss of farmlands and farmers selling out to contracting companies is a problem that has severely affected the state of Wisconsin. In 1950, Wisconsin had roughly about 23.6 million acres of farmland and as of 2002 only had
Cited: in Temperature Rise. Retrieved 7 Aug 2006 from http://www.sgvtribune.com/portlet/ article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=4113891. Tox Town. (n.d.). Urban Sprawl. Retrieved 7 Aug 2006 from http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/location.php? name=urban+sprawl