APES chapter 22 (Urbanization and Sustainability) with complete solutions

Urban growth the rate of increase of urban populations, resulting from immigration from rural areas Urbanization the creation and growth of urban and suburban areas, and is calculated by the percentage of people who live in such areas 3 major trend in: Urban Population Growth Percentage of global population living in urban areas is increasing (1) Number and size of urban areas is increasing (2) poverty is becoming increasingly urbanized; mostly in less-developed countries (3) 3 phases of urban growth: In the USA Migration from rural areas to large central cities (1) Migration from large central cities to suburbs and smaller cities (2) Migration from North and East to South and West (3) Exurbs Towns usually consisted of housing developments scattered over vast areas that lie beyond suburbs and have little to no socioeconomic centers and low crime rates (basically San Ramon rn) Urban sprawl the Low-density development at edges (outskirts) of cities/towns 5 Things that promote urban sprawl: Ample land (1) low-cost gasoline;highways (2) tax laws that encourage home ownership (3) state and local zoning laws (4) ability to live in luxury (5) 4 unwanted effects of urban sprawl: Loss of cropland, fragmentation of forests/wetlands/grasslands (1) Increased use (and pollution) of surface water, groundwater, and more runoff and flooding (2) Increased CO2 emissions (energy use) and other pollutants (3) decline of downtown businesses aka more unemployment (4) Urban people vs Rural people: Urban people live longer, have lower infant mortality and fertility rates, better access to medical care, education, and social services 4 Advantages of living in an urban area: Longer lives (1) less unemployment (2) technological advances (3) better social and medical services (4) 5 Disadvantages of living in an urban area: larger ecological footprints produced (1) lack of vegetation - trees, shrubs, grasses in general (2) concentrate pollution and health problems (3) excessive noise pollution (4) light pollution caused by local climates (urban heat islands) (5) Urban heat island enormous amounts of heat generated by cars, factories, furnaces, lights, air conditioners, and heat-absorbing dark roofs. Heat Island surrounds suburban/rural areas Other disadvantages of Urban heat island Increases dependence on AC, leading to higher energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and other forms of air pollution Where do people facing poverty live? What do they lack? Slums, shantytowns, or illegal squatter settlements. They lack clean water supplies, sewers, electricity, and roads, and are subject to severe air and water pollution/hazardous wastes from nearby factories Compact cities cities where people can get around by walking, biking, or using mass transit systems (bus and train), and all their needs are walking distance (ex. grocery stores in Tokyo) Dispersed cities combo of lots of land, relatively cheap gasoline, network of highways because most people own motor vehicles (Canada, US, Australia) 2 ways we can reduce the harmful effects of automobile use: Making people directly pay for the pollution and health problems/costs caused by their motor vehicle using: full-cost pricing - charging a tax or fee on gasoline (1) Having larger parking fees, and charging tolls on tunnels, roads, and bridges leading into cities (2) Full cost pricing pricing that includes the traditional internal costs of an item as well as the external costs 3 reasons why taxing gasoline would be difficult in the US: Faces strong opposition from those who are overtaxed and those who are part of large transportation-related corporations (1) Because of dispersed living, people are dependent on cars a lot, and taxes would be an economic burden (2) Fast, efficient, reliable, and affordable mass transit systems, sidewalks, bike lanes not easily available (3) Some alternates to cars in urban areas: bikes, buses, mass rail transit, rapid rail transit 5 principles of new urbanism: walkability (1) mixed-use development and diversity (2) quality urban design (3) environmental sustainability (4) smart transportation (5) Zoning when parcels of land/ares are designated for residential, commercial, or mixed use. Can be used to control growth and protect areas from certain types of development Land-use planning using the land in the best way/for the betterment, from zoning, and encourages economic growth