Why should we stop urban sprawl?

Urban sprawl is cutting into precious farm and wildlands, leaving us with less greenspace and precious wildlands, like bogs, which are being drained and paved over, putting valuable wildlife habitat and species at risk.

Urban sprawl Replaces the farms and forests that provide us with local food and clean air. Spread-out, car-dependent communities result in three times the greenhouse gas emissions of compact cities. Living far from work negatively affects our environment, our health and our quality of life.

Urban sprawl, a particular form of urban development, is a driver of several major challenges facing cities. These challenges include Greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, road congestion and lack of affordable housing.

Urban sprawl has a negative impact on the social life of residents. A lack of public places such as parks and playgrounds limits the opportunities for residents to meet each other and interact. This can lead to social segregation, and the people living in these areas can become disengage from the rest of the community.

Preserving natural resources such as farmland, parks, open spaces and unused land is one way to reduce urban sprawl. Preserving the land keeps it as is. Thus, wildlife and animals aren’t removed from their homes and forced closer to cities and suburbs.

Among the many alternatives to urban sprawl, nearly all can be placed under the umbrella of “Smart growth” or “New Urbanism.” Smart growth is a management strategy designed to direct the growth of urban areas, whereas New Urbanism focuses on the physical design of communities to create livable and walkable …

Urban sprawl has been correlated with Increased energy use, pollution, and traffic congestion and a decline in community distinctiveness and cohesiveness.

What would happen to the environment if urban sprawl were not controlled? Air pollution would increase, water resources could be depleted, and open land would disappear, affecting the balance of nature.

Urban sprawl May have both positive and negative consequences and impacts; however, negative impacts are often more highlighted, as this is uncontrolled or uncoordinated growth, and eventually, the negative impacts obliterate the positive sides.

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 1997; Squires 2002).

Cities cover less than 1% of the world’s surface, but house 50% of the population and Generate about 75% of the global total carbon emissions from energy use, according to studies cited in the report. Urban sprawl could consume as much as 5% of current cultivated land by 2050.

Solutions

1. Combat poverty by promoting economic development and job creation.
2. Involve local community in local government.
3. Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use and alternative transport systems.
4. Create private-public partnerships to provide services such as waste disposal and housing.