Chapter 32. Chapter 32: Urbanization and Sustainable Communities

What environmental problems does suburban sprawl generate?

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Guiding Question 32.4

What environmental problems does suburban sprawl generate?

Why You Should Care

You’ve already learned that people living in the United States have some of the largest ecological footprints in the world: Suburban sprawl has contributed a lot to this issue. In the suburbs, there is more developed land, asphalt, and energy used per person than for residents of cities. This is because homes are more spread out, detached homes are harder to heat and cool, and public transportation is less extensive, if it exists. Citizens of the United States are victims of what are usually seen as positives: their sense of independence and individuality, and their land. Suburbs aren’t unique to the United States, but the United States is one of the few countries where suburbs could be as expansive and having a car become a near necessity. Getting a driver’s license has become a rite of passage; only for city dwellers would it not seem odd nowadays not to have one. For many years, the prospect of a long commute was outweighed by the possibility of owning a house and land, and all the other benefits of suburban life. The tide is starting to swing the other way, however. More and more people are realizing the benefits of living within walking distance to work and the things one needs; for the environmentally conscious, the added benefit of reducing one’s carbon footprint may not be a deal maker but will at least be an added plus.

Question Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
ja+xmPjgWt8VKyLWvpI5NmVZLyKE1VU12zXdo9YqBlXrIEbbE8CiUe5exzBza82+vCYwWzVa19THGwta A person who develops land-use plans in and around cities.
bb7jrrYGwlGGvyV+4oAzDKQP9SmbUcaa4QQn0VyVcegkKUaSbxFABYS6R6jy1GKJKJQnOBFxusIeIwx1 Low-population-density developments that are built outside of a city.
K9UxPsR1d0BMyaK55RHjAHnx1SWNHzS2oVWVrNAcBQQEF/gYvD36+5Qh5qg9mabgXDWtm5TxRbAwo9dL The process of people leaving an inner city area to live in surrounding areas.
C7OfeRVU3rVN6IofxLPrFskYkq/Mw3bXNqYM6UtGuxNDoRoF+Fj21FpHZxu1ok9D5rUO5UJWCEjFdmLk Towns beyond the immediate suburbs whose residents commute into the city for work.
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Question 32.1

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Question 32.2

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Question 32.3

gfOxS3hj6Kb+lWD6bpUKkDKi75T00QeQYKmiEVSn5AkYRIM3yO00z82Z+4nzXYlcFMN9SgpgJnmYYjDuN66j0hmv7ufJdSrHoZYeXOpvumKrX+7lPRKlHPZOnRiI7zjpuxa4DAGDHP2u2V83ds3O2JBYDpRAEgVKFZuZRfsOelRknwgL2bwLmXJNceEYlrDQrA2sSnmiXGx3GUWrJd/ZU1rGL0LgouooQSDqAl28MQDPZBhybZHyJ++YpgUEz973gillw/F6uFu8dTXXtYY4gYOzPVjqhev0T0Yj2u8lQfBrw86AEn6pzaaJ8UYBZtM7I+r/H2hthdWcafY8etYAHMVPUuJlouI65g78TBJTJD8jjmDjOVYvoedkB1+5eYh1rh7qqBucGYJIJXjbcRDYp8JOIxoqoSTF0hvLRAu+UbtVVSackv29afJSCblejpq3lu5LYVf6t1OolhHYTdv6fJZp5zNoVOi/
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Question 32.4

pxznWZ+LHLmom+8eSAr+k43Vly3SOLEOMpzCYwUycrvz/GVlGIeiJNACigCQEGJ82DNPLxFGqYpiWCtF3Rw1480IV3Igab+Ana916tIQeI9MeZKjKUcQp0tqilH+Gbmekg8VZeOQpYDwBxZI3mbNA4xLAgjQtJIt9dk57u13BvNPjTKQZ9xDVQ9Dvrt8T/npXBMa7VYjVNNegnlWX6W0RvXwdP1R4/o+HUab/zv3+ZJNKF1yRGLUeHq4+UlImLIjRJ9MA1x0MKl3XBqbjrRGrbH7D4UwGHBzCFblkXmEKWNeHNYs2kzrBz3RW1RV8pfUcOPk5Z6FI64K/tShZloitUpjNSn58ZLU
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Question 32.5

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There are probably many reasons, and they all center on money. First, zoning and development laws are less stringent and more difficult to enforce outside cities, so it's harder to encourage developers to conserve land legally. Second, there is more land available in the suburbs, reducing the need for vertical development. Third, it probably costs more in the short run to build a vertical development, and with the lower population densities of non-urban areas, the expected return on investment may be lower for these businesses, making it riskier to build that way. Fourth, there is the vicious cycle of reduced travel options that makes having a car a necessity, which means that having a strip center that is difficult or inconvenient to walk to isn't a liability, which in turn means that more strip centers will be built, making having a car more of a necessity.