Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl has a number of environmental, social, and economic consequences. Our text cites the New Urbanism approach, which addresses some of these, but its implementation has not always been successful or gained widespread traction.
Suburban developments continue to appear in previously untouched open spaces and land once cultivated for agriculture. Suburban growth exacerbates environmental problems, such as pollution, the loss of permeable surfaces, and an increase in the heat island effect. Figures 4.11 and 4.12 illustrate the impact buildings and pavement have on water flow and air temperature.
Natural and Impervious Cover Diagrams, EPA
Figure 4.11 Comparison of Natural Ground Cover and Impervious Surface
Cover.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natural_%26_impervious_cover_diagrams_EPA.jpg
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