Posted on 10/21/2002 1:14:56 PM PDT by cogitator
Sprawling Cities Face Many Problems
WASHINGTON, DC, October 18, 2002 (ENS) - Sprawling metropolitan areas have higher traffic fatality rates, more traffic, and poorer air quality than less sprawling areas, a new study demonstrates.
The report, "Measuring Sprawl and Its Impact," is based on a three year research project conducted by professors at Rutgers and Cornell universities.
Unlike previous studies, which attempted to evaluate sprawl based on one or two statistics such as density, "Measuring Sprawl" uses 22 variables to rate metro areas on four different aspects of their development. The scores for each factor indicate how badly those regions have sprawled in terms of spreading out housing and population; segregating homes from the activities of daily life; lacking the focus of strong economic and social centers; and building poorly connected street networks.
The study breaks new ground by going beyond the index to demonstrate how sprawl development patterns affect the way people live.
"For the first time we are able to define sprawl objectively so we can see how it measures up," said Don Chen, executive director of the coalition Smart Growth America. "What this study tells us is that sprawl has a direct and negative impact on our everyday lives."
Among the report's findings:
* More Driving. The daily distance driven per person is more than 10 miles more in the most sprawling places than in the least sprawling, adding up to 40 more miles of automobile travel each day for a family of four.
* More Traffic Deaths. The 10 most sprawling places average 36 traffic deaths for every 100,000 people, while the least sprawling average 23 deaths per 100,000.
* More Air Pollution. Ozone pollution levels are as much as 41 parts per billion higher in the most sprawling areas, which can mean the difference between safe, "code green" air quality and "code red" air quality.
In addition, the research found sprawl to lack even the one benefit defenders most often attribute to it: lower congestion. People in sprawling areas endure no less traffic related delay than those in more compact places, but have fewer alternatives in travel routes and modes, the study found.
The report ranks 83 metropolitan areas, accounting for almost half the country's population, and finds that Riverside-San Bernardino California is the most sprawling overall. It is followed by Greensboro and Raleigh, both in North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
The most sprawling metropolitan area in terms of low density housing is Knoxville, Tennessee; the place with the poorest mix of homes, jobs, and shops is Raleigh; The place with the weakest centers of activities such as town centers is Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, California, and the place with the most poorly connected street network is Rochester, New York.
"This research reaffirms that strengthening existing cities and inner suburbs with new and more compact growth, and improving the mix of homes, jobs and daily activities, are among the best ways to counter uncontrolled sprawl and improve environmental quality," noted Lee Epstein, director of the Lands Program for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
The full report is available at: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org
Mrs VS
In Baltimore, classified here as a relatively "good" metropolis, people are leaving in droves. Why? Because everything from schools to crime rates scare the heck out of them. They will likely end up in some place defined as unhealthy "sprawl", and live contented lives while Al Gore and his minions complain about their self-determination.
In other words, keep people locked up inside high-density urban, concrete cubes and then the surrounding rain forests and swamps wetlands will remain more nearly pristine.
Arrgh... Yet another liberal interest group gets tax money for yet another study that concludes that we need to spend even more tax money subsidizing the failed model of controlled urban growth.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA! I suspect most suburbanites would measure "congestion" in terms of not having another family on the other side of the wall, not having 5 flights of stairs from the street to the home, not having to pay for a garage for the right to park your car, not having to worry about the drug dealers/junkies/hookers/gang bangers/chronically unemployed on the nearest corner, having a castle and a yard from which you can legally expel low-lifes and trespassers, having room for pets and chidren, cheaper rents, better schools, cheap suburban malls, real grocery superstores, and a hundred plus other simple things not "measured" in this so-called study.
This research reaffirms that strengthening existing cities and inner suburbs with new and more compact growth, and improving the mix of homes, jobs and daily activities, are among the best ways to counter uncontrolled sprawl and improve environmental quality," noted Lee Epstein, director of the Lands Program for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
And the brainwashing begins.
Reagan then went on to express his envy: this traffic reflected the ebb and flow of everyday life, and how he envied these people who would be reunited with their loved ones this evening.... And that if there were ever a major catastrophy, the first thing everyone of these people would want to do is get in touch with a loved one and express that love one more time... Reagan commented "why wait for a tragedy -- shouldn't we be expressing our feelings to our loved ones on a daily basis?" Reagan wrapped up his commentary noting that he had to end because he had to make a call to California (Nancy).
I think Reagan's observation, especially given today's terrorist threats, hits the mark (perhaps better than these social engineers who seem concerned about sprawl but unconscious about the human emotions tied to the inconveniences of sprawl). Oh does this country miss the wise man's leadership!
The U.S. based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club of Canada say oil and gas production in Canada, driven by demand in the U.S., is threatening huge swaths of Canadian wilderness and marine areas, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and exposing millions of Canadians in rural areas to dangerous air emissions. The oil and gas industry's activities are legal under Canadian law, and are encouraged by government subsidies, the groups add. The report, "America's Gas Tank: The High Cost of Canada's Oil and Gas Export Strategy," shows that Canada, not Saudi Arabia, is the single largest supplier of oil and gas to the United States. Over the past decade, Canadian oil production has increased by about 50 percent, and gas production by more than two-thirds. Today, about 60 percent of Canadian oil and gas is exported to the U.S. market.
They don't care that that limits our economy's ability to react to changes, not to mention the limit it puts on our freedom to choose where to work and the advantages of being a home owning and not renting people.
An excellent post! Thank you for posting such words of wisdom.
Yeah, but when do they have a chance to see those homes, or spend time with their families? How safe is a neighborhood in which all the adults are away?
I suspect affordability is a major factor.
In Baltimore, classified here as a relatively "good" metropolis, people are leaving in droves. Why? Because everything from schools to crime rates scare the heck out of them.
Which makes me wonder; are there any actual cities that are good places for families with children to live in?
Not necessarily. Even though it might not be representative, I read a study last week of Seattle that showed that relocating where employees work (in this case, for Starbucks, which has a lot of locations!) could drastically reduce commuting mileage. It's not applicable to a major one-place employer (such as Boeing, also in the Seattle area), but it might help in some areas.
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