Urbanization and Sustainability with complete solutions

Core Case Study: Portland, Oregon: Urban Sustainability in Action • Smart growth strategies and strong land-use policies control urban sprawl and provide green space - Encourage clustered mix-use neighborhood development - Recycling program - Farmer's markets Major Population Trends in Urban Areas Urbanization continues to increase steadily, and the numbers and sizes of urban areas are growing rapidly, especially in less-developed countries 00:03 01:42 Urbanization - Creation and growth of urban and suburban areas - 52% of people live in urban areas Urban growth - Rate of increase of urban populations - Immigration from rural areas • Pushed from rural areas to urban areas • Pulled to urban areas from rural areas Four major trends - Proportion of global population living in urban areas is increasing - Number and size of urban areas is mushrooming • Megacities; hypercities - Urban growth slower in developed countries - Poverty is becoming increasingly urbanized • Mostly in less-developed countries Case Study: Urbanization in the United States - Migration from rural areas to large central cities - Migration from large central cities to suburbs and smaller cities - Migration from North and East to South and West --aging infrastructure (dete riorating) Urban sprawl Low-density development at edges of cities/towns --gobbles up countryside Contributing factors to urban sprawl in the U.S. - Ample land - Low-cost gasoline - highways - Tax laws encourage home ownership - State and local zoning laws - Multiple political jurisdictions - poor urban planning disadvantages of urban sprawl in land and biodiversity -Loss of cropland -Loss and fragmentation of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and wildlife habitat disadvantages of urban sprawl in WATER -Increased use and pollution of surface water and groundwater -Increased runoff and flooding disadvantages of urban sprawl in Energy, Air, and Climate -Increased energy use and waste -Increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants disadvantages of urban sprawl in Economic Effects -Decline of downtown business districts -More unemployment in central cities 00:01 01:42 Advantages of Urbanization • Centers of economic development, innovation, education, technological advances, and jobs - Recycling economically feasible - Preservation of biodiversity outside of urban areas - Mass transportation Disadvantages of Urbanization • Huge ecological footprints - Consume 75% of the world's resources • Lack of vegetation • Water problems - Deprive wild and rural areas of water; flooding • Concentration of pollution/health problems - Air and water pollution - Solid and hazardous wastes Excessive Noise - Noise pollution - impairs or interferes with hearing, causes stress or accidents Altered climate and light pollution - Cities tend to be warmer, rainier, foggier, and cloudier than rural areas - Artificial light has affected some species poor Life Is a Desperate Struggle for the Urban ____ in Less-Developed Countries Slums Areas dominated by dilapidated housing Squatter settlements/shantytowns Scavenged materials, on unoccupied land without the owner's permission Case Study: Mexico City • 19.5 million people - More than 1/3 residents live in slums or barrios • Serious air pollution problems • High water consumption • City government has moved refineries and factories out of the city - Instituted a program to reduce water use How transportation affects the Urban environmental impact In some countries, many people live in widely dispersed urban areas and depend mostly on motor vehicles for their transportation, which greatly expands their ecological footprints outward or upward Cities Can Grow _____ or ____ compact cities - Hong Kong, China - Tokyo, Japan - Mass transit Dispersed cities - U.S. and Canada - Car-centered cities Advantages of Motor Vehicles - Mobility and convenience - Jobs in: • Production and repair of vehicles • Supplying fuel • Building roads - Status symbol Disadvantages of Motor Vehicles - Accidents • 1.2 million per year, 15 million injured - Kill 50 million animals per year - Largest source of outdoor air pollution - Helped create urban sprawl - Traffic congestion Full-cost pricing - high gasoline taxes - Consumer education - Funds for mass transit - Opposition from car owners and industry - Lack of good public transit is a problem Rapid mass transit - Difficult to pass in the United States • Strong public opposition; dispersed nature of the U.S.