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One could easily write a book on the negative impacts of
sprawl and, in fact, quite a number of people have done just
that. Sprawl is the “hot topic” in environmental
and planning circles and for good reason. The impacts of sprawl
are devastating and threaten to fundamentally change the fabric
of America. Below is a synopsis of those impacts with a detailed
discussion of each available by clicking on the individual
heading.
Sprawl Increases Traffic Volumes and Congestion
Separate and often isolated land uses have forced an increase
reliance on the automobile. Nobody walks to the corner store
anymore, they drive. Commuting distances have increased and
families with two working parents are now the norm rather
than the exception. Quite simply, we have more cars on the
roads, traveling more miles than ever before. Is it any wonder
why our roads are congested? If you think that building new
roads is the answer you might want to read The
Reality of Traffic before fully committing to that position.
Sprawl Causes Adverse Environmental Impacts
The destruction of wetlands, increased flooding due to the
loss of pervious surface (that which water can permeate),
increased pollutants entering the aquifers, light pollution
and the loss of animal habitat are just a few of the many
environmental impacts of sprawl. Add in air pollution and
we have quite a witch’s brew bubbling just beneath the
surface of our quiet suburbs.
Sprawl Causes Increased Health Risks
There is a direct relationship to between automobile usage
and air pollution and there is a direct link between air pollution
and respiratory illness. The formula is simple: sprawl forces
an increase in vehicle usage which results in greater air
pollution which results in more and more serious respiratory
illnesses. It has been estimated by Mark Delucchi, of The
Institute of Transportation Standards at the University of
California at Davis, (Health Effects of Motor Vehicle Air
Pollution, 1995) that between 20,000 and 40,000 annual cases
of respiratory illness are caused by vehicle-related air pollution.
The dependence on the automobile also has led to a rise in
pedestrian and motorist deaths, increased obesity and related
diseases, and declining mental health for those living in
sprawling communities.
For a detailed discussion on the subject, please see our
section on The
Health Risks of Sprawl.
Sprawl is Decimating Our Cities and Inner Suburbs
The growth of the suburbs is largely a result of population
relocation and not population increase. The people and businesses
who are currently most capable of making our cities viable
communities are leaving, resulting in an eroding tax base
and furthering the class distinction between city and suburb
dwellers. The same process is occurring in the inner suburbs
(urbanized communities located close to a city) as those areas
are now deemed less desirable.
The potential social implications of sprawl as it relates
to our cities is perhaps the most critical internal issue
that America will face in next 50 years. Even if you do not
read the details of any other section, please read this one.
It really is important.
Sprawl Results in Increased Taxes
Everybody pays for sprawl. In the cities, the flight of business
and higher income residents not only reduces the tax base
but it often results in an influx of citizens with lower income
who are more reliant on government services for their survival.
Thus costs can go up dramatically while tax income goes down.
One does not need an economics degree to recognize that this
is an unsustainable situation and that severe long term problems
are the only conceivable outcome unless the situation is addressed.
In the suburbs, sprawl takes an enormous toll. New schools
must be built and new teachers hired to educate the influx
of children. Increased services such as police, fire and those
provided by local government are required and the taxes generated
by the new homes is insufficient to cover these costs, placing
an increasing burden on existing residents. New infrastructure
including roads and sewer must built and again the bulk of
those costs come from the taxpayer. Enormous tax increases
are a common result of sprawl and those least capable of absorbing
them, senior citizens and others on fixed incomes, bear the
hardest hit of all.
Sprawl Results in Increased Living Costs
Few people consider the hidden costs associated with living
in suburbia but they are indeed real and extensive. High mortgage
payments and taxes leave many people “house poor”.
Two cars to insure, repair, and drive seem mandatory, and
apparently one or both must be an SUV. To cover these expenses
often requires that both parents work, which results in child
care costs and in some cases, the need to pay for cleaning
and maintenance services. After the “basics” are
covered, it is time to “keep up with the Jones's”,
which all too often leads to heavy credit card debt and many
people find themselves a lot “poorer” than they
imagined possible.
Sprawl is Destroying Our Farms
Over a million acres of agricultural land is lost to sprawl
every year, most of it in areas that the US Census Bureau
designates as Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (MSAs). These represent the more developed
portion of the nation, with 80 percent of the people living
on 20 percent of the land area. In addition to being home
to a sizable percentage of our population, these areas are
home to a truly significant portion of our farm production
and their loss to development should be a concern to all Americans
who appreciate food.
Consider, for example, that 61% of the nation’s vegetables
come from farms in metropolitan areas with California, Texas,
Arizona and Florida being the largest producers. These states,
and in particular, the regions most suitable for vegetable
farming are under some of the most intense development pressure
in the nation with U.S. Census Bureau projecting population
increases of between 45 - 55% to occur between 1995 and 2025.
The reason is quite simple, the agronomic conditions that
are most suitable for vegetable production, namely warm temperatures,
available water supply, well drained soils and level land,
are exactly the same conditions that are most conducive to
development.
Although many people in urbanizing areas tend to discount
the importance of local farming and seem to believe that all
of the nation’s “real” farms are located
in Kansas, that is an incorrect and a dangerous perception.
According to a 1997
report from the US Department of Agriculture, farming
in metropolitan regions represents 18% of the nation’s
farmland (approximately proportional with the 20% of land
area designated as MSAs) but 32% of the total number of farms
and 34% of the total dollar value of sales of agricultural
products. The sales of farm products in these areas was in
excess of $66 billion and that figure does not include the
secondary economic value that is directly attributable to
farming, i.e. equipment and supply purchases.
Farming in areas faced with heavy development pressures is
at best a difficult task. Not only must the farmers deal with
the always unpredictable forces of nature but now they also
must contend with social and environmental changes brought
on by immigration of suburbanites who often have vastly different
values. The problems that a farmer in an urbanizing area may
face include:
* Complaints about farm odors and fertilizing practices
* Complaints about early morning noise
* Increased difficulty in moving farm equipment along
once rural roads that have become commuter routes.
* Reduced access to farm infrastructure such as suppliers,
equipment dealers and product storage / distribution options
* Reduced access to and increased costs resulting from
the decline in sharable equipment and labor from other farmers.
* Increased real estate taxes
* Increased pressure from land use and/or water restrictions
* Decreased crop yields resulting from vandalism and theft
Farms are more than quaint open spaces for suburbanites
to visually enjoy on their way to work. Even discounting
their value as producers of sustenance, they are often vital
components in the economic well being of an area.
Sprawl has a Negative Economic Impact on Small Businesses
Small businesses are touted by every political leader as
the backbone of the American economic system, yet they are
being destroyed at an alarming rate by sprawl that is allowed
and encouraged by these same politicians. As residential sprawl
begins in an area, many existing small business may flourish
or new businesses begun to met the increased demand for goods
and services. However, once the population growth reaches
the level that it represents an attractive business environment
for national retailers, the small businesses that were the
base of the community are among the first victims. Mom and
Pop grocery stores give way to supermarkets, local pharmacies
gives way to multipurpose “drugstores,” small
clothing merchants find that they can not compete with large
department stores and supply business of many varieties fold
under the pressure of Home Depot and Lowe’s.
The economic impact of big box retailers is an area that
has received far too little attention. Not only may the tax
base erode from the loss of small businesses but the advent
of superstores often leads to many hidden costs that are borne
directly by the taxpayers. These may include the perceived
need for new roads, increased levels of police protection,
and increased sewage capacity and facilities to handle increased
stormwater flows. In addition, the decimation of a town’s
commercial center that resulted from the growth of outlying
malls and/or big box retailers becomes the focal point of
“revitalization” efforts which can represent sizable
expenditures of tax dollars.
For more information, please see our section on Big
Box Retail.
Sprawl Reduces our Quality of Life
* Sprawl leads to a sense of “Loss of Place”
where everywhere looks like everywhere else and the uniqueness
of our communities is lost. In the past, communities used
to be clearly defined from their neighbors, each possessing
different characteristics. Now, communities blend together
in a sea of highways, superstores, and tract housing.
* Crime increases almost always accompany sprawl.
* Increases in commuting time and the increase in work
pressure to meet higher living expenses result in a decrease
of “family time.” The impact is often felt most
intensely and negatively by children but the implications
can be equally as problematic for adult relationships.
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