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Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright

Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright. Chapter 23. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles PPT by Clark E. Adams. Trenton Brownfield Site. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles. Urban sprawl Urban blight Moving toward sustainable communities

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Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future Richard T. Wright

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  1. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable FutureRichard T. Wright Chapter 23 Sustainable Communities and LifestylesPPT by Clark E. Adams

  2. Trenton Brownfield Site

  3. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles • Urban sprawl • Urban blight • Moving toward sustainable communities • Toward the common good

  4. Urban Sprawl • Sprawl: extension of city perimeters outward in the countryside, one development after the next, with little plan as to where the expansion is going and no notion as to where it will stop.

  5. The Origins of Urban Sprawl • Post–World War II demand for consumer goods: cheap cars and gas • Housing boom with low mortgage rates • Highway Trust Fund

  6. Impact of Highway Trust Fund

  7. City Suburbs Exurbs The Flight Continued • The results of a car-dependent lifestyle

  8. Measuring Sprawl • Residential density • Neighborhood mix of homes, stores, and workplaces • Accessibility of the street networks • Strength of activity centers and downtowns

  9. Sprawl Scores: Low Scores Mean High Sprawl (see Table 23-2)

  10. Conversion of Land to Developed Uses

  11. Impacts of Urban Sprawl: Environmental

  12. Environmental Impacts of Urban Sprawl: Simplify and Destabilize! Photos by C. E. Adams

  13. Impacts of Urban Sprawl: Quality of Life • Higher vehicle ownership and driving mileage • Greater risk of fatal accidents • Lower rates of walking and lessened use of mass-transit facilities

  14. Impacts of Urban Sprawl: Quality of Life • No change in congestion delays • Higher costs for municipal services • Higher incidence of obesity and high blood pressure

  15. Benefits of Urban Sprawl • Lower-density residential living • Larger lot sizes • Larger single-family homes

  16. Benefits of Urban Sprawl • Better quality public schools • Lower crime rates • Better social services • Greater opportunity to participate in local governments

  17. Reining in Urban Sprawl: Smart Growth • “Smart Growth”: forces communities to purposely choose to develop in more environmentally sustainable ways. • Sets boundaries on urban sprawl • Saves open space • Develops existing urban space • Creates new towns

  18. Urban Blight • Economic and ethnic segregation • The vicious cycle of urban blight • Economic exclusion of the inner city • Urban blight in developing countries • What makes cities livable?

  19. Indicators of Urban Decay • Economic and ethnic segregation • Eroding tax base • Loss of social services • Lowered property values • Higher property taxes • Deterioration of central city infrastructure

  20. Segregation by Exurban Migration: White Flight

  21. The Vicious Cycle of Urban Blight

  22. Economic Exclusion of the Inner City

  23. Urban Blight in Developing Countries • Slum communities • No utility services • No land ownership • Crime and disease are endemic • Expected to continue growing into middle of century • Continually overwhelmed by influx of rural immigrants

  24. Slum Community Needs • Home security • More jobs • Cheap transportation • Government representation (Slum Dwellers International – SDI at http://www.sdinet.org)

  25. What Makes Cities Livable? • Integrated living, working, and recreational spaces • Affordable housing • Provisions for pedestrian and bicycle traffic • Protection of sensitive habitats

  26. What Makes Cities Livable?

  27. What Makes Cities Livable? • Reduced outward sprawl • Reduced automobile traffic • Improved access by foot or bicycle • Mass transit

  28. What Makes Cities Livable? • High population density • Heterogeneity of residences and business • People meet people, not cars

  29. Moving toward Sustainable Communities • Sustainable cities • Proximity of people to residences, shops, and workplaces • Use of solar energy • Self-sufficiency in provision of food • Stable population

  30. Sustainable Communities • Renovation and recycling • Greenways development • Reclaimed waterways • New industries

  31. Toward the Common Good • Intergenerational equity • Set national goals for sustainable development • Reduce conflict between business and environmental groups • Individual responsibility

  32. The Common Good • Compassion • Concern for justice • Honesty • Frugality • Humility • Neighborliness

  33. Lifestyle Changes • Individual lifestyle changes • Political involvement • Membership and participation in NGO environmental organizations • Volunteer work • Career choices

  34. End of Chapter 23

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