Urban Sprawl

With Massachusetts State spending on affordable housing and open space at a historic low, when considered as a percentage of the total budget, the production of dwelling units and the conservation of land have become the responsibility of local government, but cities and towns do not build housing, except in rare circumstances. As well they do not routinely buy expensive tracts of open land,

Economic factors are fundamental in determining urban structure. Cities can be seen as a form

Making sure that there are enough jobs in the region to sustain the needs of urban growth in a growing population.

The third listing for the definition of sprawl in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is as follows: “to spread or develop irregularly”. Unfortunately, this is the pattern, or lack thereof, with which America’s development is following. Every single day the world population rises, and these new babies have to live somewhere. Due to the fact that the birth rate is larger than that of the death rate in America (http://www.bartleby.com/151/a24.html), new homes and communities must be developed to accommodate all of the incoming people. This fundamental concept is coupled by another very powerful driving force prompting people to live in the suburbs of America, and that is greed. The economy makes

Gentrification has a positive effect on a community in the sense that it ameliorates the local economy. In lower income neighborhoods, the expansion of businesses and creation of jobs is limited by the deficiency of monetary flow. However, as wealthier residents relocate to the area and invest money in the community, businesses develop. Overtime, this trend continues and results in economic development as well as more jobs, which benefits the community. Secondly, the process of gentrification typically results in a lower crime rate. This is because gentrification involves the attainment of vacant properties in order to build new developments. Therefore there will be a decrease in vacant properties which typically attract crime. Additionally, an increase in population results in an increase in local government revenue from taxes which can be spent on law

Economic growth is the focus of every city. Through economies of scale cities such as Chicago and New York continue to experience great economic expansion. Continued growth, however, opens up the gateway for urban sprawl and the lack of a centralized economy. As cities expand their land use people disregard once thriving centers of industry and business and locate next to newly developed "Greenfield" type businesses. Often times the only thing left in the wake are rundown, abandoned business districts. In an effort to revitalize these deserted areas, councils in charge of economic development will use many different policies. An occasionally controversial policy is called a TIF or Tax Increment

There are many who suggest the solution to the decline of the suburbs is to urbanize the area by densifying and overall making the suburbs more similar to a city. Laura Vaughan argues that the development of a spatial layout similar to that of a city would help the suburbs to become more efficient socially and economically. However, this approach directly contrasts the purpose of the suburbs, which was originally meant to provide a private, quiet environment for single family homes away from loud and busy city life. In his book, “Sprawl: A Compact History,” Robert Bruegmann explains that suburbia is not a bad thing but possesses “benefits that urban planners fail to recognize” and is a natural process of the growth of urbanism. While the suburban landscape does possess much potential, those who support the continued existence of the suburbs as they exist are naive and fail to recognize the environmental, social, and economical impact that the suburbs impose. The suburbs possess many social and political issues that need to be addressed. There is no doubt that there is massive potential in the suburban

Urban sprawl was a major problem and had many negative effects. "Suburban sprawl, “called urban sprawl was a result of overpopulation. Sprawl occurred when cities spread outward. Forests and farmland were being destroyed to create new housing subdivisions, shopping centers, offices, parking areas, civic institutions and roadways. State governments built highways and roads to serve all the new commuters moving in and out of the city. Developers chose to build on less expensive land farther away from the urban core. Land prices were lower and housing in these developments was more affordable. Some people chose a longer commute in exchange for more comfortable, low-priced housing. The sprawl was a chronological process that devastated the land and life of the American people. This problem described here continues to be a problem. And many people are unaware that urban sprawl continues to be a problem. Friendly neighborhoods, traditional pedestrian have fallen victim to this problem. Environmental activists claimed that urban sprawl, was a substantial environmental threat. But activists concerned about sprawl should concentrate on existing government policies that encourage suburban development and prevent greater redevelopment of urban areas.

Step one: I will refine and update the Ewing et al. (2002) metropolitan sprawl indices to 2010This study will differ from the Ewing et al.’s 2002study in three respects. First, it will include additional metrics from various data sources such as Walk Score, NAVTEQ road data, Smart Location Databases and National Land Cover Database in order to increase validity and captures more aspects of each four dimensions (development density, land use mix, activity centering and street accessibility).

When the supply of resources can’t keep up with the citizens’ demands, areas are revamped to fit growing needs. Politicians have also chosen to ‘help’ neglected areas when they see a possibility for profit or gain. Throughout the last century, people have been increasingly shifting from rural to urban living. The more people moving into a city increases the need for housing and businesses.

According to Statistics Canada (2011), there are five cities that are considered to be the largest metropolitan areas in Canada. However, of the five Toronto is one of them that has a population of over 1,000,000 people. In total, Ontario is home to 7 of the largest cities in Canada. With this note, we realize that Ontario is familiar with rapid urbanization which is also called urban sprawl. Also, although urban sprawl can seem extremely positive in terms of population growth and a rapidly growing economy. It can also have quite a negative effect on the environment and the biodiversity of an area. Moreover, pollution is another negative aspect of urban sprawl since countless commuters live in the rural areas around our urban centers

To reduce urban sprawl, the Places to Grow Act (2005) encourages infill and intensification in areas with the necessary infrastructure to support growth. The established neighbourhoods within

Burgess’s concentric zone theory was presented in 1924. He presented a descriptive urban land use model that divided cities in a set of concentric circles expanding from downtown to the suburbs. His representation came from Burgess’ observations of various American cities, especially Chicago. Burgess model assumes a relationship between the socio-economic status of households and the distance from the Central Business District. The further from the district, the better the quality of housing, but the longer the commuting time. Making this Accessing better housing is done at the expense of longer commuting times and costs as well. According to Burgess, urban growth is a process of expansion and reconversion of land uses, with a tendency of each inner zone to expand in the outer zone. According to Burgess’ theory, a large city is divided in six concentric zones, Burgess’s model has its cons according to critics. It is said to be a product of its time. That is, it won’t work the same with present cities. The model was developed when American cities were growing very fast and when motorized transportation was still uncommon as most people used public transit. Thus the concept cannot be applied to those from the second half to the twentieth century where highways have enabled urban development to escape the reconversion process and to take place directly in the suburbs. The model in this case was developed for American cities and is limited elsewhere.

Metropolitan areas exhibit an amazing diversity of features, economic structures, amounts of infrastructure, historic roots, patterns of development, and degrees of conventional planning. Yet, lots of the problems that they deal with are strikingly acquainted. For example, as metropolitan areas grow, they grow to be increasingly diverse.

An emerging issue is that of urban sprawl. While some aspects of urban sprawl has been seen since ancient times, this phenomenon has started gaining the most momentum in the past century, aided by the advancement of technology, especially with the rise of mass produced automobiles, houses and highway systems. Many people unknowingly contribute to this environmental problem, as is the nature of it. Urban sprawl deals with the growth of the suburbs, the area between the urban and rural areas of a city. Most of America’s largest cities and states, in terms of population, are prime examples of urban sprawl. Opponents of urban sprawl usually cite the government as a major cause of sprawl. The government may be a major catalyst of