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Importance of effects of urbanization over environment
Importance of effects of urbanization over environment
Negative effects of urbanization on the environment
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New Urbanism in America Pollard (2001) writes about the despondency of the American public over loss of open spaces, pollution, and climate change due to land-use and transportation patterns in the paper, ‘Greening the American dream?’ The author believes that ‘new urbanism’ is the solution to these issues. New urbanism is a variety of related planning and design approaches that include traditional neighbourhood, as well as transit-oriented development (Pollard, 2001). New urbanists are critics of sprawl and promote mixed-use land development. Designs include more open spaces, walkable neighbourhoods and street networks with few cul-de-sacs. The primary goals of new urbanism are to save open spaces and wildlife habitat Pollard argues that critics of new urbanism believe the views are outdated and designs take up just as much apace as conventional sprawl. He believes that some developments claim the new urbanism label but they do not actually conform to the ideas of the movement. …show more content…
These communities are also designed to save water by including less impervious space. Some barriers to the implementation of new urbanism include developmental regulations, public subsidies for conventional development, and public resistance to new ideas. Pollard believes that with education of the public and decision –makers, new urbanism can greatly curb environmental damage. Pollard’s paper seems to be written with a bias towards the new urbanism movement. Although criticisms of the ideas are discussed, they are not explained in detail. Many concepts examined are discussed vaguely and not many sources are considered. There is also not any evidence of original research carried out by Pollard, rather just a review of some of the key concepts of the new urbanism
Another noteworthy urban sociologist that’s invested significant research and time into gentrification is Saskia Sassen, among other topical analysis including globalization. “Gentrification was initially understood as the rehabilitation of decaying and low-income housing by middle-class outsiders in central cities. In the late 1970s a broader conceptualization of the process began to emerge, and by the early 1980s new scholarship had developed a far broader meaning of gentrification, linking it with processes of spatial, economic and social restructuring.” (Sassen 1991: 255). This account is an extract from an influential book that extended beyond the field of gentrification and summarizes its basis proficiently. In more recent and localized media, the release the documentary-film ‘In Jackson Heights’ portrayed the devastation that gentrification is causing as it plagues through Jackson Heights, Queens. One of the local businessmen interviewed is shop owner Don Tobon, stating "We live in a
People will be more willing and capable of living in denser, more efficient environments only when the underlying culture that sustains sprawl is altered. The sense of the American community needs to be re-established if there is to be any real progress in the battle against sprawl. The REAL problem here then, is that changing the culture of a state, of a nation, is a very long and difficult undertaking…
She also introducing new urban building standards. This this article she talks about, the idea some people have of tearing it down and rebuilding. She also talks about ideas people have about some parts of towns. In Boston, she talks about the area of North End, and the change that it was over gone. During her second visit to this area, she discovered that it had changed. She talked to other about it, although the statistic were higher than the city, the people still saw it as a slum. They felt that they needed to tear it down in order to build something better. This leads to the conclusion that the urban planners to do understand that the people of the city need. They have ideas that were developed years ago that they are still using. These ideas do not take account what the people want. The author also introducing new ideas of a perfect city to live in and what it would look like. The idea of a garden city was introduced. This city would be built around a park. Although the new ideas sounded great they could not be put into place today. The idea of a Garden City is something that sounds nice, but it is not possible in society today. Today a city should reflect economic status, and in order to achieve this the city should be big, and convey an image of power. A city that has aspects of nature in it would not convey that image. That upkeep of a city of that kind would also be difficult. The do understand the author's point of view. The planners often times do not take into account the desires of the people. The town that I grow up in want to become more urbanized. In order to do this, they are building a large shopping center. This shopping center is located in the canyon rim. This canyon rim has been important the people for many years. We come to the area to walk, what bass jumpers, and enjoy the scenic views. This new shopping center took away this area. Many of the people
Suburbanization, roots of the “American dream.” A house occupied by a man and woman and their three kids; the man is the breadwinner, and the woman is the stay-at-home wife. The husband would leave the house to go to work while the wife happily stay at home to cook, clean, and care for the kids. This was the imagine that were painted for consumers after World War II. This was how success was defined. However, at the other end of rainbow was not a pot of gold. Women were angry and frustrated from being confined in their homes all day. Furthermore, African Americans were excluded from this “picture perfect” dream when the government created “red lining” and made it impossible for people of color to get a house loan. The impact of suburban growth
Residential, commercial and industrial development is the largest contributors to landscape change in the state of New Jersey. When buildout occurs in one region, development pressure begins in another, virtually insuring the Megalopolis concept of one huge urban corridor stretching between Boston and Washington D.C. Year after year, farmland dwindles, roads become congested, and more residents are left to compete for diminishing natural resources. Desperate measures and newer technologies are incorporated to replace poor planning and lack of vision on behalf of decision-makers caught between competing interests. When the long term health and wellbeing of the established population and the short term gain of a limited number of people compete for vital natural resources there should be no question who's interests should prevail.
Teju Cole’s debut novel, Open City, depicts Julius’s peripatetic journeys in New York City, as well as abroad, whilst reflecting their connotations to his past. Cole utilizes his main character’s driving narration to explore urbanization and urbanism (2011). To distinguish, urbanization refers to the growth in population within city areas, and the way in which societies adapt from rural to urban areas, opposed to urbanism which defines the features of social interactions within these areas (Pugh, 1966).
Steve Johnson makes arguments for urbanization and the positive impact they have overall, despite some of the health problems they have created. His main argument is relating to the environment and urbanization. Johnson argues that while cities are usually viewed in a negative light, they do not offer negative impact on the environment. He discusses how urbanized cities are a necessary trend for the future of global relations. “The sheer magnitude of such of a footprint has been invoked as part of anti-urban environmental arguments, but the primary objection is in fact industrialization not
Gentrification does not follow traditional urban growth theory, which predicts ?the decline of inner city areas as monied classes move to the metropolitan fringe.? The traditional economic model of real estate says that wealthy people can choose their housing from the total city market (Schwirian 96). Once these people decide to live in the suburbs, the lower social classes move into the old homes of the upper class, essentially handing housing down the socioeconomic ladder. Gentrification is actually a reversal of this process. For a variety of reasons, many inner city areas are becoming more attractive to the wealthy, and they are selecting their housing in those areas (Schwirian 96). The problem is that now when the wealthy take over poor homes and renovate them, the poor cannot afford the housing that the wealthy have abandoned. Many researchers have argued whether gentrification has truly created problems in cities. I will analyze the arguments for and against gentrification by exploring the subject from both sides.
The Town of Seahaven Island is spiritually uplifting, quaint, and completely artificial. Everything and everyone, including the main character, Truman, are predictable in habit and pattern. Nothing happens spontaneously or out of synch. When Truman steps out of his usual routine, the entire town must leap into choreography of damage control. Carefully anticipated, controlled perfection must be restored, but this portrayal of contemporary urban life, however exaggerated, may be inappropriate (Rees; 2003; 104). New Urbanists believe physical design can influence behaviours and attitudes and cause organic evolution of ideal communities. In fact, romanticizing the village model through architectural codification and rules of development may be less engaging than vague and bland. Several criticisms of the New Urbanism style of community, versions of which are becoming extremely privatized, have been discussed. The New Urbanism regime of community is utopian and unnatural—a contradiction of the very ideals purported.
It is based on the assumption that, achieving sustainable development lies in achieving a balance between socio-economic development and environmental development (Rydin, 2010). For urban greening to meet the objectives of sustainable development, municipal authorities or local government should craft policies and strategies that should be implemented so as to safeguard the future of green spaces, develop more of them, improve the quality of urban services like air, transport, water and make urban areas more attractive to investors while enhancing the wellbeing of local people (Troy et al., 2007). Flexible planning considers social, physical and population characteristics of a given area (Byrne et al., 2010), in other words, green spaces should be provided to meet social and ecological needs of a city. This is one of the biggest challenges facing many countries like South Africa, where the recently experienced political transformation has brought capital and economic interests onto the forefront of development priorities (Mentis 2010). Through better spatial planning, cities can minimise the resulting urban land use footprints and enable ecological conservation and improvements to be part of the foundation of city development (Henderson, 2013). Sustainable development therefore requires more support from many functions of urban greenness like heat absorption, purification of air and aesthetic value in promoting urban living standards without degrading urban ecology. Also, improvement of green spaces in urban areas requires the contribution of all environmental players to help in educating and raising the awareness of the public on the role of sustainable development in improving quality of life and availability of resources in future. People living in urban areas need to acknowledge and uphold that opportunities brought by urban
Solutions to the problems of urban sprawl in the United States are out there… However some are easier while others are harder the biggest would be getting people on board with all of these solutions. Expansion of public transportation and light rail to reduce cars on the road and pollution and shorten commute time; land-use planning that puts hard boundaries on urban growth, forcing densification of earlier sprawl areas into higher-density solutions. As Americans we have got to take action and make a stand and truly make the change. But doing so would eliminate what everyone calls as the “American Dream.” This dream will be dead, the American Dream was possible 50-100 years ago immigrants coming here for a better life and more opportunity to
The next level of environmental planning would be ecological city (eco-city) planning. It is here that the balance between environment and human systems is more heavily weighted on the environment. Eco-city planning encompasses developing a city in which there is zero emissions or pollution, near zero solid waste, use of local materials, minimizing life cycles, minimizing virtual values of non-renewable resources, and providing good public health and amenities. (Novotny, Ahern, & Brown, 2010). The principle of an eco-city is to live in harmony with nature while enhancing the quality of life through decentralization and diversity (Roseland, 1997). Eco-city planning aims for perfection in which preserving, enhancing, increasing natural features and environment, and minimizing development impacts on the natural environment are the goals. As utopian as this may seem, the shift towards eco-city planning is a far outcry from reality. This report will argue that narrowi...
An emerging issue is that of urban sprawl. While some aspects of urban sprawl has been seen since ancient times, this phenomenon has started gaining the most momentum in the past century, aided by the advancement of technology, especially with the rise of mass produced automobiles, houses and highway systems. Many people unknowingly contribute to this environmental problem, as is the nature of it. Urban sprawl deals with the growth of the suburbs, the area between the urban and rural areas of a city. Most of America’s largest cities and states, in terms of population, are prime examples of urban sprawl. Opponents of urban sprawl usually cite the government as a major cause of sprawl. The government may be a major catalyst of sprawl in the present day, but history of sprawl dates back to mainly an economic and social root rather than political. Ironically, urban sprawl is also known as rural sprawl; the terms just refer to the spreading of urban population and area into rural areas (Cornell University). With the encroachment of human development comes the destruction of wilderness areas, something that is commonly known to contribute to a wide variety of environmental problems. Automobiles are also a major part of sprawl, contributing to the depleting supply of global oil and the addition of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Noticing these negative effects, some communities around the country and the world are taking measures to reduce their city’s sprawl, ultimately saving the environment.
Urbanization is the process of life for many and the desired way of life for many others. Human beings both inhabit urban and rural areas today all over the world. Many people may be disappointed with the development of an increasing number of urban areas. Many peoples once rural areas are now swallowed up directly as cities sprawl outward. The effects of urbanization both positive and negative get examined in the following paragraphs. In addition, who is most effected by urbanization and who plays a role in preventing and/or properly planning development will also be revealed. Anthropology wears many hats in the world today. Human society gets impacted directly by the decisions made by countries or government agencies with the assistance of anthropologist. Let’s begin to examine where we are and where we are going with urbanization.
During the 1920s, sociologists Robert E. Park and Ernest Watson Burgress developed a theory that proposed that cities are similar to environments found in nature, regulated by fundamental assumptions similar to those that govern the natural world. Specifically, this theory holds the notion that the overall structure of cities is based on the struggle for limited land use. Over time, urban ecology has evolved to include a wider spectrum where it now generally refers to a subsection of ecology that studies the interactions among human beings, plants, and animals within an urban and metropolitan area, as well as the effects that urbanization have on natural ecosystems and biodiversity within the areas.