How does urban development affect the environment

Many towns that grew up near rivers have succeeded in cleaning up the waters they befouled with industrial development. But cities at the beginning of their development generally have less wealth to devote to the mitigation of urban environmental impacts.

And if the lack of resources is accompanied by inefficient government, a growing city may need many years for mitigation.

Strong urban governance is critical to making progress. But it is often the resource in shortest supply. The lack of good geographic information systems means that many public servants are operating with cataracts. The lack of good statistics means that many urban indicators that would inform careful environmental decisionmaking are missing.

When strong urban governance is lacking, public-private partnerships can become more important. Some of these public-private partnerships have advocated tackling the environmental threats to human health first. Much of the research that needs to be done on the environmental impacts of urban areas has not been done because of a lack of data and funding. Most of the data that exist are at a national level. But national research is too coarse for the environmental improvement of urban areas. Therefore, data and research at the local level need to be developed to provide the local governments with the information they need to make decisions.

Certainly the members of the next generation, the majority of whom will be living in urban areas, will judge us by whether we were asking the right questions today about their urban environments. They will want to know whether we funded the right research to address those questions. And they will also want to know whether we used the research findings wisely.

Resource Library. Article Details Date April 23, Environmental Effects of Urbanization Urban populations interact with their environment. Health Effects of Environmental Degradation The urban environment is an important factor in determining the quality of life in urban areas and the impact of the urban area on the broader environment. References M. Carole L.

Kingsley Davis et al. United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects. Mark R. Montgomery et al. United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects: Jyoti K. Parikh et al. Jeffrey R. Taylor and Karen A. Taylor and Hardee, Consumer Demand in China : James C. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets.

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Citation: Brody, S. Nature Education Knowledge 4 5 How do development patterns impact our ecological systems and the livability of our local communities? Aa Aa Aa. The way in which we develop the American landscape and its urban areas is a critical component to creating livable and sustainable cities. The footprint of major metropolitan areas, suburbs, and small towns ultimately shapes the environmental and social conditions within our communities.

One type of development pattern that has received increasing attention by researchers and policy makers interested in fostering sustainable communities is called "sprawl. For years, scientists have argued that sprawling urban and suburban development patterns are creating negative impacts including habitat fragmentation, water and air pollution, increased infrastructure costs, inequality, and social homogeneity Ewing ; Squires Understanding the causes, consequences, and policy implications related to sprawl can provide important insights on how to construct more sustainable communities over the long term.

Characteristics of Sprawl. The phenomenon of sprawl has been described in various ways, ranging from development aesthetics to local street patterns Galster et al. While there is no universally accepted definition of sprawling land development, there are several common characteristics pervading the literature that can help us understand and even measure its occurrence. These include: 1 Low-density, single family dwellings. Sprawl is the result of a complex set of interrelated socioeconomic and cultural forces.

Land value, however, is often considered the chief driver of development patterns. Sprawl tends to occur where property values are lower on the periphery of urban centers Pendall, Economists identify three underlying forces that interact with land values to create spatial urban expansion or sprawl. First, population growth results in the outward expansion of urban areas sometime population decline also can be a precursor to sprawl.

Second, rising incomes allow residents to purchase larger living space. Third, decreasing commuting costs produced by historical investments in transportation infrastructure also fuel outward expansion of development Brueckner, Infrastructure drives the growth of cities by providing the essential framework for residential development.

After new development takes place, residents then demand improvements in infrastructure that further ignites development along the urban fringe. Widespread access, provided by improvements in transportation infrastructure and relatively inexpensive gas prices, allows developers to utilize cheap land located outside the city center Gillham, Consequences While the literature identifies various social and economic consequences associated with urban sprawl, this article focuses on environmental problems.

Sprawl Reduction Policies. While the causes and consequences of sprawl may seem daunting, there are multiple policies and techniques that can reduce the proliferation of unsustainable growth patterns. Local planning policies can help guide growth in a more ecologically sustainable fashion and assist local communities in attaining the intended spatial design and land use intensities. Specifically, planning policies and techniques can help concentrate growth within targeted areas, restrain development from sprawling uncontrollably into rural settings, and help protect or restore a region's natural resource base.

References and Recommended Reading Benfield, F. Torrens, Paul. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 96 , Zhang, Tingwei. Community features and urban sprawl: the case of the Chicago metropolitan region. Land Use Policy 18 , Share Cancel.

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