Urban Sprawl and Environment, Essay Example

“Life is looking up…cottages, classic and country homes, with the land plan where 65 percent of the housing area  …that is 186 acres will remain natural, facing the hills, meadows and gardens”…one among the hundreds of promo lines of urban real estate, springing out like caterpillars in the countryside. They are perhaps ignorant that this American fancy for wilderness, has created “urban sprawls”, which pose major challenge to the environment.

As it is Americans have a special preference for suburbs as their homes. It is easy, less costly and a comfortable option for them. However, it has led to an impulsive growth of condominiums, shopping malls and housing at the behest of large farmland and wildlife reservation. Such uncontrolled, unplanned urban growth or urban sprawls is a matter of much concern to environmentalists for various reasons.

The rate of transformation of the suburbs into metropolitan districts is much faster as compared to the population growth. As a result green pastures have changed rapidly into concrete and cement, and has caused ecological imbalance in the environment. The other important factor of concern is that the lands for such projects are not optimally used. Thus in spite of available space in a particular project, other lands is being acquitted for habitation purposes.

According to American Farmland Trust, 70 percent of the prime farmland is in the process of development. The trend of urban sprawls started in the decades after the World War II; increased prosperity, safe neighborhood, good schools and affordable housing were the main reasons of attraction. Land being cheaper and extra parking facility also lured business houses to shift base in urban areas.

Sprawls have endangered environment as vast areas of agricultural and fertile land are being used for residential purposes. The American Farmland trust survey states that during the period 1982 to 1992, there has been a loss of 400,000 acres of fertile land to urbanization. These lands had prime quality of soil and climate for the cultivation of crops and contribute to a loss of 45.7 acres per hour, every single day. It is correctly pointed out by Reid Ewing, “that the lands most suitable for growing crops also tend to be most suitable for ‘growing houses.’”

Another major problem is the total disfiguration of the American landscape. The panoramic views have a shadow of commercialization and its natural beauty has been lost in the myriad buildings, artificial facades, and crowded highways.

Urban sprawls also cause air pollution because of the sole automobile dependence. Since people live here and work in the city, they are dependent on cars for their travel. This has been one of the potent causes of motor vehicle upsurge from one million to two trillion miles per year during the period 1970 to 1990. Such huge vehicle dependence produces large amount of greenhouse gases and contributes to global warning which in turn is harmful for our existence and the ecosystem. They also lead to water pollution as the springs, lakes and rivers bear the grunt of habitation. Moreover, the natural landscapes have a porous soil texture and absorb water which later percolates and reach the rivers or tributaries. When the land becomes commercialized, the cement and concrete are unable to absorb the water and run off into waterways picking the dust and dirt from the surface. It also leads to erosion, flood, decline in the water table and impairs the aquatic habitat.

Thus the calamities posed by the urban sprawls need immediate and sustainable action. We know that development is essential but it should be planned and scientific. Instead of isolated settlements, if the housings are placed in strategic locations and made densely populated, then large tracts of land can be saved. Moreover it would decrease the pollution to reach far off places in the countryside. So sustainable and planned growth is in our hands and we must strive to achieve it for our children and for healthy living.

Reference

Reid H. Ewing, (1994).  “Characteristics, Causes, and Effects of Sprawl: A Literature Review, “Environmental and Urban Issues, Last Retrieved on November 1, 2009.

Christopher B. Leinberger,(1998) “The Metropolis Observed,” Urban Land, Last Retrieved on November 1, 2009