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Federal Regulations. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)- mandates an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or permits. Environmental impact statement (EIS)- outlines the scope and purpose of the project.
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Federal Regulations • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)- mandates an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or permits. • Environmental impact statement (EIS)- outlines the scope and purpose of the project. • Environmental mitigation plan- outlines how the developer will address concerns raised by the projects impact on the environment.
Residential Land • Suburban- areas surrounding metropolitan centers with low population densities. • Exurban- similar to suburban areas, but are not connected to any central city or densely populated area.
An Urbanized World—many urbanized settings are nearly continuous
Case Study: Urbanization in the U.S. • 8 of 10 Americans live in Urban areas. • About 48% of Americans live in consolidated metropolitan areas (bottom map). Figure 23-4
Urban Sprawl • Urban sprawl- the creation of urbanized areas that spread into rural areas. • The four main concerns of urban sprawl in the U.S. are: • automobiles and highway construction • living costs (people can get more land and a larger house in the suburbs for the same amount of money) • urban blight (city revenue shrinks as people move to the suburbs) • government policies
Urban Sprawl • As they grow and sprawl outward, urban areas merge to form megalopolis. • Bowash runs from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. Figure 23-7
URBANIZATION AND URBAN GROWTH • People move to cities because “push” factors force them out of rural areas and “pull” factors give them the hope of finding jobs and a better life in the city. • Urban populations are growing rapidly and many cities in developing countries have become centers of poverty.
Major Urban Areas of the World • Satellite images of the earth at night showing city lights. Currently, 49% of the world’s population live in urban areas (2% of earth’s land area). Figure 23-2
URBAN RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS • Urban areas can offer more job opportunities and better education and health, and can help protect biodiversity by concentrating people.
URBAN RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS • Cities are rarely self-sustaining, can threaten biodiversity, lack trees, concentrate pollutants and noise, spread infectious diseases, and are centers of poverty crime, and terrorism. Figure 23-3
Cluster Development • High density housing units are concentrated on one portion of a parcel with the rest of the land used for commonly shared open space. Figure 23-17
Cities as Systems • Urban settings can be analyzed as systems. • They are unlike any natural system in their density of population and scale of cycling & consumption. • Modern mega-cities pose unique problems for environment.
City placement & the Fall Line The fall line marks the area where the upland region of the Piedmont meets the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The fall line is typically prominent where a river crosses it, for there will usually be rapids or waterfalls.
Government Policies • Highway Trust Fund- a federal gasoline tax to pay for construction and maintenance of roads and highways. • Zoning- a planning tool to create quieter and safer communities. For example, prohibiting the development of a factory or strip mall in a residential area. • Multi-use zoning- allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the same area. • Subsidized mortgages- low interest rates offered to people to purchase a home that would otherwise not be able to do so.
Smart Growth • Mixed land uses • create a range of housing opportunities and choices • create walkable neighborhoods • encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions • take advantage of compact building design • Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place • Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas • Provide a variety of transportation choices • Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities • Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost-effective http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/category/new-york/
The Ecocity Concept • Principles of sustainability: • Build cities for people not cars. • Use renewable energy resources. • Use solar-power living machines and wetlands for waste water treatment. • Depend largely on recycled water. • Use energy and matter efficiently. • Prevent pollution and reduce waste. • Reuse and recycle at least 60% of municipal solid waste.
The Ecocity Concept • Protect biodiversity by preserving, protecting, and restoring surrounding natural areas. • Promote urban gardens and farmers markets. • Build communities that promote cultural and economic diversity. • Use zoning and other tools to keep the human population and environmentally sustainable levels.