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.
Figure 4.11 Comparison of Natural Ground Cover and Impervious Surface Cover. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003. Public Domain).
Figure 4.12 Urban Heat Island Profile. (TheNewPhobia, 2008. Public Domain)
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natural_%26_impervious_cover_diagrams_EPA.jpg
This work is in the Public Domain.
Source: TheNewPhobia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5263244 This work is in the Public Domain.