type3-book by Erin Canoy

NO MAN’S LAND

the rampant epidemic of sprawl EXAMINING THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

NO MAN’S LAND

the rampant epidemic of sprawl EXAMINING THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY_ERIN O. CANOY

≤ ≤

COPYRIGHT © ERIN O. CANOY, 2011 A ll rights reserved P rinted and bound in San Francisco, CA No part of this publication may be used or reproduced, stored in or i ntroduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by any m eans without written permission of both the copyright owner and t he publisher.

DEDICATED TO

THE FUTURE GENERATION OF AMERICA

≤

≤ ≤

TABLE OF CONTENTS

0009 00021

Living the American dream Planting the Seeds of Destruction

UNREAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

Suburban Developments and the Increase of Home Sizes

00045 OBLIVIOUS TO THE POISON

Repercussions on Our Physical and Emotional Health

00033 GREEN LAND GRABBING

Environmental Impacts and the Loss of Fertile Farmlands

00052 PATH TO DESTRUCTION

Understanding the Possible Futures

≤ ≤ _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_0006

+IT ALL HAD TO START SOMEWHERE.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_0007

≤ ≤ _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_0008

Fishing and camping with the family every summer

Marrying the love of your life and stay-at-home-wife

Spending Sunday nights watching TV with the family

Taking Rover , the family dog, out for a walk

A delicious home-cooked meal every night

A fancy car to drive you wherever you wanted

A suburban house with the white picket fence

At the end of the war in the 1950’s, the young men returning from battle wanted a sense of normalcy and peace within their homes. People wanted to escape the chaos of what had occurred and sought a retreat or a haven with open spaces as a place where they could finally call home. This was where the idea of suburbia stepped in. > > Suburbia had everything anyone could hope for at that time, and represented what was to be called the “American Dream.” From the neatly lined houses down wide neighborhood roads with their crisp white picket fences, this picture - perfect scene was what people longed for. The father, who was the head of the household, would be the breadwinner. He would come home after work to a finely home-cooked meal from his stay at- home wife with his 3 children. Outside you could hear the chirping of the birds and the barking of their trusty dog, Rover. Neighbors would wave and greet you as you stepped into your lush well-tended lawn while you breathed in the fresh clean air. This almost, impossible dream, represented the sense of security, social status and a new life.

LIVING THE

AMERICAN DREAM

job Happily married with three children and a dog

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_0009

≤ ≤

+The rise of the suburbs marked a shift that would change the way we lived.

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

31 sq. m i.

With the rise of all these homes, miles away from the nearby groceries or towering office buildings, came the advent of the automobile. The car became another icon that defined America as a nation and its people. Owning your car meant you were financially stable, successful and could go anywhere that you wanted, at any time. This vehicle would later be a machine that was a curse, a shiny and expensive wolf in sheep’s clothing. > > Because all the suburban developments were tucked away, far from the chaos of the urban life or even miles from neighborhood groceries, the automobiles became a part of our daily lives. They were these machines that we became so reliant on that without it, we could not go anywhere. We could not walk to school, walk to the grocery or walk to our office spaces. Everything we did and every trip we made to almost anywhere had to be done with the car. > > Mr. Pat McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina had said, “One of the biggest mistakes in land use planning was in the 60’s and 70’s, 80’s and even the 90’s when we segregated housing from commercial development from industrial development.” He later on explained, “Oh and by the way, it wasn’t just those developers who were doing this — i t was us the consumer who was doing this.” He said that, “We wanted to segregate ourselves into separate units and we had to depend on the car then to get to work to back home, vise-versa, or to get from home to the hospital or get from home to the grocery store. We all designed ourselves into forcing ourselves to use the automobile.”

_00010

Public school 5 mi

House in the suburbs

Office in the cit y 11 mi

Nearest mall 13 mi

Family doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office 12 mi Supermarket 2 mi

We designed ourselves into forcing ourselves to use the automobile.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_0001 1

≤ ≤

04_14_1941 President Fr anklin D. Roosevelt IMPLEMENTS a National Interregional Highway Commit tee

06_03_1933 THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CREATES THE HOMEOWNERS LOAN CORPORATION

to the American landscape that we know today

Chronicling the events that have led us

POSTWAR SUBURBIA

OR HOLC

≤

06_27_1934

1943

THE CONGRESS PASSES THE NATIONAL

THE FIRST SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

HOUSING ACT

FREEWAY, CONNECTING LOS ANGELES TO PASADENA IS OPENED

11_29_1935 THE NATION’S FIRST HOUSING PROJECT, TECHWOOD HOMES, OPENS IN ATLANTA , GEORGIA

06_1946 CHEVROLET RELEASES THE FIRST CAR AD ON NETWORK TELEVISION

09_01_1937 The United States Housing Authority (USHA) is created as part of President Fr anklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal progr am

1947 THE SECOND FREEWAY OPENS, CONNECTING HOLLYWOOD TO SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

1947 THE I-5 OR SANTA ANA FREEWAY BEGINS CONSTRUCTION

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00012

06_1949 THE FIRST SHOPPING MALL OPENS IN

1970

1949 the Taft-Ellender-Wagner Housing

MORE AMERICANS LIVE IN THE SUBURBS

Act CONSTRUCTS affordable housing

THAN IN URBAN REGIONS

for “every American family ”

1960 MORE AMERICANS OWN THEIR HOMES THAN RENT THEM

1960 Roughly 80% of American families own at least one car , and around 14% have two or more

1949 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Federal Highway Act WHICH AUTHORIZES THE CONSTRUCTION OF 40,000 MILES OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00013

SUBURBIA TODAY

R ALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

≤ ≤ 411

411

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00014

98 75

411

575

20 129

95 20

+20% OF CAR TRIPS ARE

129

WORK RELATED WHILE 80% ARE NOT.

135

121 311

“Automobiles are often conveniently tagged

Cities have much more intricate economic

as the villains responsible for the ills of cit-

and social concerns than automobile traf-

ies and the disappointments and futilities

fic. How can you know what to try with traffic 1 of city planning. But the destructive effects 16 until you know how the city itself works, and of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building. The simple needs of automobiles are more easily understood and satisfied than

what else it needs to do with its streets? You just can’t.” 16 —Jane Jacobs, Death and Life of Great American Cities

the complex needs of cities, and a growing number of planners and designers have

311

come 79 to believe that if they can only solve the problems of traffic, they will thereby 1

have solved the major problems of cities. 75 92

311

95 92

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00015

≤ ≤ House in the suburbs

Public school 5 mi

Soccer pr actice 12 mi

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00016

Americans lose over 64 billion dollars a day by being stuck in traffic.

Supermarket 8 mi

Office in the cit y 11 mi

Family doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office 7mi

Nearest mall 13 mi

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_ 00017

120

car

CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES IS A MERE DISASTER.

— RANDY UDALL, FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF PEAK OIL AND GAS

≤ ≤ _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00020

UNREAL ESTATE

DEVELOPMENT

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

Sprawl is defined as the outward expansion of metropolitan areas, accompanied by the rise of communities with lower population density. These vast areas or communities are characterized by a car-reliant lifestyle, and large home lots. Other massive infrastructures such as golf courses, corporate industrial parks, and large shopping establishments and malls are also part of it. > > Looking back at how the cities developed in the 1900’s, we see that these areas were more compact with a rich and diverse set of public spaces. These dense hubs were where people worked, learned, played and shopped. Each of these destinations could easily be accessed through public transportation or by simply walking to them. Today, the idea of walking or biking to where we need to go isn’t practical for most people. In fact, this idea seems almost absurd.

> > A survey states that 18% of our nation’s children today walk or bike to school when 71% of the adults interviewed, either walked or biked to school when they were children. Not only are our office spaces, groceries and other buildings getting harder to access on foot, but also public schools and hospitals.

_00021

≤ ≤ _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00022

+WE just tossed out the window 2,000 years of accumulated wisdom when it came to human settlement. In a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its State of the Cities 2000 report (1994-1997 time period), its data shows that our urban areas are expanding at about twice the rate that the population is growing. This means that whether or not these increasing horizontal growth patters are producing housing developments that being bought or just left uninhibited, we continue to build non-stop. In fact, another study conducted by the former mayor of Albuquerque and book author, David Rusk, shows even more alarming trends. By studying 213 urbanized areas, Rusk discovered that between 1960 and 1990, its population increased by 47% from 95 million to 140 million. As a result, urbanized land increased up to 107% from 25,000 square miles to 51,000 square miles. This means that density of people per square mile decreased by 28%.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

> > In Mark Falcone, urban planner and urban developer’s words, “We very arrogantly, in my opinion, just tossed out the window 2,000 years of accumulated wisdom when it came to human settlement Post WWII. We were in the modern era, we believed that tomorrow was going to be better than yesterday, we believed that we were smarter, we believed that the machine was reinventing the way we lived our lives and we were very boldly — and I think at times — pressured that we could create a very different world, that was detached from the human progression of human settlement.” > > Suburbia became almost a default pattern of developing our housing models and yet it just seemed as if no one knew a better alternative. We were continuing to build more and more of these cookie-cutter developments on every piece of empty land we found. Not only were various land areas of all the overall developments getting bigger, but also were the lots per house and every square meter was increasing rapidly. We all wanted houses that were massive and farther from everything that we did. It was only later that we realized its many consequences that are far more daunting than the idea of traffic and our reliance on the automobile.

_00023

≤ ≤

AVERAGE LIVING SPACE PER PERSON

≤

COMPARING THE SCALE OF LIVING SPACES BETWEEN NORTH AMERICA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

646 sq. Ft. North America

409 SQ. FT. BRITAIN

334 SQ. FT. JAPAN

180 SQ. FT. CHINA

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00024

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00025

≤ ≤ LUXE RIVERSIDE 4,585 sq. Ft. 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths HILSDALE GARDENS 2,749 sq. Ft. 3 bedrooms 2.0 baths solstice 2,801 sq. 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths lakeview court 2,716 sq. Ft. 2 bedrooms 2.5 baths Field of dreams 2,270 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths MORRISON HOMES 3,088 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths COTTAGE ATRIUM 4,741 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths VIOLA CHALETS 7,584 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms 4.5 baths LUXE RIVERSIDE 4,585 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths HILSDALE GARDENS 2,749 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 2.0 baths solstice 2,801 sq.ft. 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths lakeview court 2,716 sq. ft. 2 bedrooms 2.5 baths field of dreams 2,270 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths MORRISON HOMES 3,088 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths

COTTAGE ATRIUM 4,741 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths VIOLA CHALETS 7,584 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms 4.5 baths CRAFTSMAN LODGE 4,506 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms 4.5 baths CAROLINA CHARM 4,575 sq. ft. 2 bedrooms 2.5 baths VENETIA VILLAS 3,890 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths TOSCANA 4,006 sq. ft. 4 bedrooms 3.5 baths THE FARMHOUSE 6,826 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths ADRIONDACK 3,150 sq. ft. 2 bedrooms 1.5 baths HILLSIDE HOMES 3,990 sq. ft. 2 bedrooms 1.5 baths MAJESTY LOTS 4,762 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms 2.5 baths

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00026

+Houses were becoming MORE MASSIVE and farther away from everything that we did ON A REGULAR BASIS. Today, the average size of new house has expanded in size from about 1500 square feet in the mid-70s to over 2000 square feet. What’s happening now is that the lot sizes are decreasing but being compensated by increasing the sizes of the actual homes. > > With all the larger houses and lots today with all the investments people make, one would think more time would be spent at home. However, with all the public facilities being far apart, the home has become more often than not, a mere sleeping area where one can retire after a long day at work and a long commute home. The extra rooms we put are not even maximized because of the decreasing amount of time spent at home with the inversely increased amount of time spent on travel. Not only does sprawl affect the individual families’ relationships but it also affects the community at large. > >

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

37 sq. m i.

The architecture of American homes have changed over the last hundred years in terms of sizes, shapes, materials, locations, family sizes and many others. It was at the turn of the century that size became an aspiration and would later turn into the norm. > > In the 19th Century and well before that, people lived in houses that were compact and efficient without having any excess rooms that were being unused. Everything was built in proportion to the number of people living inside the activities that were conducted. Although larger houses existed, just like the average suburban house today, these were reserved for the elite individuals of society as a large house represented their social standing. > > Bungalows or those one-story and a half dwellings were then introduced in the early 20th century. However, it was also during this time that the physical sizes of homes began to increase while the household size was decreasing. In fact, the family size has decreased almost 25% over 30 years, while the size of new houses has increased about 50%. Having more personal space meant having more privacy and more rooms were added such as television or game rooms, play rooms or additional guest rooms and even guest houses. We were adding extra space for areas that were not accessed all the time, but these excess areas meant that we could afford “a place for everything.”

_00027

≤ ≤

n 0 _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00028

39.5 sq. m i.

The idea of suburban sprawl has long been labeled as this epidemic that continues to damage people’s minds and the overall physical environment of the area. However, all its psychological effects are as equally damaging because sprawl disrupts a sense of community for the residents living or working within that particular development. Because everything is farther away, less time is spent at home in the suburbs and the opportunity to build relations with one’s family or their neighbors’ families is not there. People today suffer from living in we call “sub-divisions” rather than building and thriving within a healthy community. > > Some may argue, that they do have their own communities in their suburban neighborhoods through some organized activities. When it is closely examined, however, these sprawl communities require a long drive in order to make social connections. Rather than more natural and casual interactions, these activities are on a tight schedule with even more effort and pre-planning needed. Children need to be driven to their friends’ houses and parents need to drive far for dinners or other gatherings. These social events rely on early planning rather than the natural way of biking, walking or using public transportation to get to some place in the spur of the moment. William Fulton, an urban planner, recently described the effect of suburban sprawl in the greater Los Angeles area: “a constant caravan between the residential cocoon, where citizenship is

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

exercised in narrow, self-interested ways, and the spending and working cocoons, where citizenship is totally surrendered to all the commercial forces that run the place.” > > Another effect of urban sprawl in relation to community is the lack of availability in public spaces for people to enjoy. Research shows that sprawl development contributes to market failure where residents of sprawl communities often do not provide monetary support of the public spaces they access. Sprawl communities generally lack parks, museums, civic centers, libraries and many others. Because they drive to far locations to enjoy these facilities, the residents who live in the specific community are the ones supporting it with their tax dollars. What happens is that less money is allotted to sustain these public spaces where large amounts of people, within and outside the community, flock to.

_00029

80%

EVER BUILTOFINEVERYTHING NORTH AMERICA

HAS BEEN BUILT IN THE LAST 50 YEARS. AND MOST OF IT IS BRUTAL, DEPRESSING, UGLY, UNHEALTHY AND SPIRITUALLY DEGRADING.

—James H. Kunstler, WRITER AND Social Critic

≤ ≤ _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00032

GREEN LAND

GRABBING +IN THE US ALONE, 30% OF PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES ARE AT A RISK OF DISAPPEARING. The agricultural landscape is disappearing at an accelerating rate and the rise of the suburban developments and the rapid use of land has becoming increasingly detrimental to our environment. Not only does it cause water and air pollution, but sprawl has destroyed important ecosystems that affect numerous plant life and wildlife as well as impacted the availability of fertile farmlands for our produce. > > One of the key results of sprawl is the threat to America’s native plant and animal species suffering drastically from claiming these rich lands and converting them into roads, infrastructures, homes, offices, and shopping centers. By converting these green space into its urban and suburban uses, we end up destroying and more often than not, totally eliminating their habitats. Although these forests, wetlands and grasslands still exist around our cities and our suburbs, it may not be enough for these various species especially if the land is not taken care of and protected from development. We drive away numerous species in order to provide these massive establishments that take us 20 minutes or more to access. If we built these areas in close proximity to where we lived, we would be using less land and we would be making it more efficient for us to get to.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00033

≤ ≤

13 -

Florida Indian manatee

Minnesota western prairie white-fringed orchid

NEVADA MOUNTAIN PLOVER

California arroyo toad

Illinois hine’s emerald dragonfly

NEVADA ALKALI MARIPOSA LILY

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00034

Florida panther

RAPID CONSUMPTION OF LAND COULD THREATEN THE SURVIVAL OF NEARLY ONE OUT OF THREE IMPERILED SPECIES IN THE U.S. -

> > The natural survival of all these plants and animals are essential to own human survival due to the chain reaction that occurs each time one species is removed from its natural habitat and how it can affect many other species as well. Take for example the roles that the bees play in pollinating flowers and plant crops. Over 75 percent of the crop staples that we feed on rely on pollinators and if the bee population decreases. Imagine its adverse effects on our supply of produce as well as the cashfow to our economy. > > Nearly half of U.S. lands that are being protected as of the late 1980’s have been at high elevations reaching over 10,000 feet above sea level. Although the species living here are sheltered, all those within lower elevations are the ones in danger. The areas rich in soil and green space are home to a diverse array of species but are also the certain areas where majority of our population reside.

20 sq. m i.

Over the next half century, up to one third of the world’s plant and animal species may all be lost forever if we do not take action. According to conservation biologists, this reality would indeed be the first big mass extinction since the age of the dinosaurs. In fact, thirty percent of plant and animal species in the U.S. alone are at risk of totally disappearing, and over 500 species are missing or may already be extinct. For an estimated 85 percent of all these threatened species, the loss and degradation of all these animals’ habitats is the principal threat to their continued existence. One study done in Wisconsin states that only 0.5% of the grasslands remain with 50% of the wetlands being lost due to sprawl. Wisconsin once owned 5.5 m i l l ion acres of oa k sava n nas but today only 500 acres exist. These various animals that once inhibited these areas sometimes have no place to go, resulting in the suburbs being overrun with deer, the threat of coyotes, and experiencing significant increases in road kill. > > Among the imperiled species across America are the Florida Indian manatee and Florida panther, the tiny arroyo toad within California, the mountain plover and alkali mariposa lily in Nevada, the Hine’s emerald dragonfly within Illinois, and the Western prairie white-fringed orchid in the Minnesota region.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00035

≤ ≤

+SPRAWL from suburban developments IS A LOOMING Threat for our nation’s farmlands and the crops they produce. The threat to our nation’s farmlands is also one great product of sprawl. Agricultural land is priced according to its warm temperatures, adequate water supply and welldrained soil which are key elements for vegetable production. Unfortunately, these same characteristics are highly valued for urban development. Because certain crops require a specific condition for growth, the decrease of land areas used to grow them, affects the availability of these produce in the market. Numbers of all these vegetable productions within America are concentrated within California, Florida, Texas and Arizona. However, these are also the states that rank high in population and projected growth, which according to the Bureau of Census, could increase to 45-55% between 1995 and 2025. With the increase of population and consumers, it will be difficult to produce an adequate amount of cops with the same or even a decrease in fertile lands available. A study shows that between 1992 and 1997 alone, over 13.7 million acres of our farmland were converted to housing developments, roads and public highways. > > Although farmlands that are residing on the fringes of suburban development benefit in some ways by increasing their customers

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

and opportunities to sell through farmers’ markets, there are also the various negative effects. Existing near these centers means that crops are exposed to urban smog and water pollution and are prone to theft and vandalism. In addition, growers experience pressure from land-use and water restrictions. The increase of our population density also means that the real estate taxes rise as well as land prices, making it difficult for farming developments to take place. > > Wetlands are also being destroyed, which are in fact essential in preventing floods. More than 110,000 acres of these natural flood-absorbing filters are cleared in order to pave a way for sprawling developments. According to the Sierra Club, “In the past eight years, floods in the United States killed more than 850 people and caused more than $89 billion in property damage. Much of this damage happened in states and counties where weak zoning laws allowed developers to drain wetlands and build in floodplains.”

Not only are our farmlands and habitats being effected in terms of destroying lands, but other results of sprawl such as air and water pollution are also big ramifications. The increase of automobile usage produces carbon emissions that are released into our clean air. In fact, our cars are responsible for 1/3 of the greenhouse gases emitted today. Unfortunately, even with all these technological advances to the modern cars’ systems, automobile companies won’t be able to do enough to lower the pollution level. > > Sprawl is a threat to our water quality, “reduces the resilience of streams and other waters by degrading headwaters and impoverishing habitat.” Because soil is replaced by concrete and other impervious services, the possibility of erosion is heightened because it decreases the amount of rainwater retained in the ground. Sprawl also contributes to the degradation of many streams and rivers where various habitats are being destroyed by drying them up for development or when they become dumping grounds for trash and other debris. > >

_00036

artichokes broccoli brussel sprouts celery

lettuce

â&#x2030;¤

spinach mushrooms beets corn asparagus carrots cucumbers tomatoes sweet potatos onions cabbage garlic eggplants celery potatoes apples cherries gr apes str awberries or anges pears plums

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00037

≤ ≤

133% 187% 129% 78% _ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00038

≤

INCREASE OF SPRAWL PROJECTED PERCENTAGE INCREASE FROM 2007 TO 2015

Every week, five hundred acres of green space, forest and farmland in the Atlanta metro area are plowed under.

The five counties around st. Louis lost more than 170,000 acres of farmland to urban development between 1981 and 1996

FROM 1880 TO 1996, FT. LAUDERDALE’S METROPOLITAN AREA BOUNDARY PULLED OUT 27 PERCENT

THE AMOUNT OF TIME CINCINNATI DRIVERS ARE IN GRIDLOCK INCREASED BY 200 PERCENT FROM 1982 TO 1847

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00039

≤ ≤

over the next 25 years, more than 22,000 acres of habitat will be lost Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

22,000+

Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachuset ts

Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00040

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_0004 1

one

HUNDRED YEARS AFTER WE’RE GONE AND FORGOTTEN, THOSE WHO NEVER HEARD OF US WILL BE LIVING WITH THE RESULT OF OUR ACTIONS.

—OLIVER WENDELL HOMES, U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

≤ ≤

OBLIViOUS TO THE POISON

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

Environmental and Societal degradation are not the only concerns in relation to sprawl but our physical well-being is also greatly affected. By driving around to almost everywhere we need to get to, we tend to walk less and involve ourselves less in physical activities. Furthermore, the air pollution also takes its toll on our lungs. > > According to USA Today, “People living in sprawling American communities walk less, weigh more and are more likely to be hit by a car if they venture out on foot or bicycle,” suggests a series of studies on sprawl. In fact, “studies are among the first reports to link shopping centers, lack of sidewalks and bike trails and other features of our suburban sprawl to deadly health problems.” All these reports come as more and more Americans are moving out into the suburbs — and walking less and less. Some studies by the Federal Highway Administration show that Americans make less than 6% of daily

trips on foot. One report shows that people living in sprawling suburban areas were more likely to suffer from obesity, which can put individuals at higher risk of lung cancer, diabetes and a host of other various diseases. Suburban sprawl also put residents at a slightly higher risk of developing high blood pressure. One second study by John Pucher at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, suggests that suburban sprawl poses another hazard, “it’s dangerous to walk or bike in areas where cars rule the road.” He found that American cyclists or pedestrians were “two to six times more likely to be killed on the road than all their German or Dutch counterparts.” He says that “American cities could remedy that hazard by putting in more car-free zones, sidewalks and bike paths.”

_0004 4

≤

SPRAWL HAS BEEN LINKED TO VARIOUS DEADLY HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS OBESITY AND CANCER.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00045

≤ ≤

bps

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00046

Obesity is often times a problem that most people and researchers attribute to our food intake and the quality of food available. However, researchers are now questioning if sprawl could be one major culprit of this epidemic. There seems to be a clear association between the type of place people live and their activity levels, weight, and health. A study shows that “people living in counties marked by sprawling development are likely to walk less and weigh more than people who live in less sprawling counties. In addition, people in more sprawling counties are more likely to suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. These results are true after controlling factors such as age, education, gender, and race and ethnicity.”

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

> > Moving from a compact neighborhood to sprawling developments, we have become automobile-dependent which can lead to a decline in all our daily physical activities. Because houses are far from the services or stores we access daily, wider roads have been created to allot an ample space for the increased traffic flow. In turn, these wider roads are perceived as a danger for walking or biking which means that we’d rather drive to wherever we need to go even if it’s a couple of blocks away.

_00047

≤ ≤

---

ANXIETY

HEADACHE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

EXHAUSTION

ARTHRITIS

BACK AND NECK PAIN

ASTHMA

OBESITY

MUSCLE PAIN

PALPITATIONS

INFLUENZA

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

SLEEP APNEA

_00048

FATIGUE

42 sq. m i.

+LONG COMMUTES produce adverse effects on blood pressure, mood, frustration tolerance, illness occasions, work absences, job stability and overall life satisfaction. Our physical health is not the only aspect of our bodies that we must take into consideration, but we must also look at our mental and emotional health in relation to sprawl. > > The emotional effects of sprawl are felt in a variety of ways and are induced by different reasons. Longer commute time is one factor that affects our well-being and generally make us feel even more exhausted and so unhappy. Traveling from 30 minutes to even two hours to get to work, school or home can cause us back and neck pains as well as fatigue or cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, asthma and headaches. Sleep is also reduced because of the need to allot more time in order to get to one place from another. Some people have to wake up as early as four in the morning to commute to their office and they come home late from the previous day. Traffic causes agitation, anxiety and leaves us feeling overwhelmed by the time we all get home. Our mood also shifts causing us to release the tension on all the people that we live with. It produces adverse effects on blood pressure, mood, our frustration tolerance, illness occasions, work absences, job stability and overall life satisfaction. In turn we are generally less likely to “experience an enjoyment for much of the previous day or to say they felt wellrested” in our daily routines. Other factors such as increase in gas prices, parking or mass-transit fees create unnecessary worry and stress. We end up feeling more tired and the downtime we could spend at home in order to relax is reduced significantly.

The Relationships with ourselves, family and friends are also affected by living in isolated suburban communities where we spend less time with the people we love and care about. Not only does it affect time with family and friends but it also affects our personal time for ourselves. Sprawl takes us more effort to visit or meet people that live farther than we do which makes it less likely for us to enrich our social lives. Children also tend to be are left alone in their homes or spend more time with baby sitters that they often feel neglected and lack an adult figure to help guide them in their lives. Parents and children end up lacking that familial bond which is necessary for emotional growth. The home, in turn, has become nothing more than sleeping quarters where most of the activities are spent outside and on the road. > > Children today also lack the opportunity for walking and biking. Studies show that a significant decline has occurred over the last 20 years in the number of children aged 5 to 15 that walk or bike. This is also caused by the lack of public spaces such as parks > >

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

or playgrounds that often provide a safe and easily accessible area for them to enjoy. Children also need a sense of privacy, safety and community for their emotional growth and with sprawl, they tend to be cooped up at home and lack the opportunity to play outdoors, socialize with other children and to explore nature. > > One research also shows that pregnant women living in the Los Angeles county near busy highways and roads have a 10-20% increase in risk of having premature babies. A study on Denver, on the other hand, shows that children living within 250 yards of a road with 20,000 or more vehicles per day using it are eight times more likely to get leukemia and they are six times more likely to get other different types of cancers due to the exposure to car exhaust pollutants associated with the disease. > > The elderly and people with disabilities are also greatly impacted in that they lack mobility and a sense of community. Since many elderly people cannot drive, they need to have stores, medical centers and recreational facilities near them that are easy to access by either walking or public transportation. If not, this causes additional stress and it puts a toll on their physical health. They become home bound and experience difficulty accomplishing essential tasks such as doctors’ visits. They become isolated and foster feelings of sadness, loneliness and hopelessness.

_00049

CAN’T BUILD OUR WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEM

BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.+ —SHELLY POTICHA, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF RECONNECTING AMERICA

≤ ≤

shopping complex

OFFICE BUILDING PARKING LOT

PARKING LOT

TARGET

WALMART

grocery store

parking structure

shopping MALL

parking structure

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00052

PATH TO

54 sq. m i.

DESTRUCTION Urban and suburban sprawl is an epidemic that we must face together as a nation. If we do not take action in the coming years, our nation’s landscape will deteriorate rapidly, affecting wildlife, our natural environment, our health and our communities. We must improve the nation’s landscape if we want this to be live able for the future generation of America and for the world. > > Having all of these poorly planned developments threatens our overall quality of life. And sprawl, a major culprit, encourages the destruction of our communities. Sprawl puts long distances between our homes, the office spaces and stores, making us depended on the use of automobiles. Because trips are lengthened, we have become forced to spend numerous hours being stuck in traffic. Also, it affects our relationships with ourselves, families and friends, making it difficult to keep ties. Sprawl causes the pollution of our all air and water systems by increasing smog and by encouraging water runoff. It destroys the natural habitats which could lead to the rapid extinction of various species of animal and plant life. Tax money is also wasted as our economic resources that could be used to improve and revitalize our communities are spent on creating more developments and constructing new roads and highways. New sewer lines and electrical lines need to also be

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

generated to compensate for the land being used. These public facilities, older towns and cities all then end up becoming degraded as funds as moved to newer developments. > > One thing we must remember is that we cannot defeat sprawl on our own. According to Jan Schaffer, Executive Director of the Pew Center for Civic Journalism, “sprawl is indeed a bread-and-butter community issue, just like crime,” stating that “Americans are divided about the best solution for dealing with growth, its development and traffic congestion.” We need to work together and put our differences aside to think of what’s best for everyone. > > There are many significant repercussions to all our nation’s environment, wildlife, health and communities, that if we all don’t act now, sprawl can and will take over.

_00053

≤ ≤ 31 sq. m i.

Our growing population is not helping this epidemic. According to the Census Bureau, the current 300 million Americans today will be joined by another 92 million in the next 34 years. This startling number has posed questions such as, “Where will these people end up living? Where will they all work?” or better yet, “Where will all these millions of additional households be?” In fact, projections from the government shows that by 2026, we will need an additional 15,500 new homes to the 6,000 ones that have already been proposed in the current Local Plan. It is frightening to think of what America will look like in the next 50 years and how our landscape will change from what we know of in our present times.

> > Studies show that urban areas expand at twice the rate the population is growing. In some regions of the United States, sprawl is a consequence of individuals moving from urban centers to suburbs. However, others show that population growth plays a larger role. Statistics reveal that our population growth and its rapid increase happens to be a significant sprawl factor in the South and the West rather than the Midwest and Northeast. In fact, it is particularly so along the Atlantic coast.

the 300 million PEOPLE IN AMERICA TODAY will be joined by 92 million more in the next 34 years

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00054

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00055

≤ ≤

+ + + + +

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00056

+ $7,800,000 for THE SCHOOL BUSSES THAT PROVIDE ample TRANSPORTATION for STUDENTS in ONE YEAR

+ $727,000,000

+ $400,000

for the construction of a new school

+ $338,000,000

EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO SPRAWL

for an additional safety patrol team for one year

+$1,400,000,000 for sewage and water expenses

≤

for building new capacity in fast-growing towns

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

_00057

THOUSANDS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE

+ $175,000

R APID DEVELOPMENT CAUSED BY SPRAWL

for paving five miles of roadway

≤ ≤ 67 sq. m i.

_ NO M A N’S L A N D

_00058

+The end, we must realize that sprawl is not inevitable and we can improve the way we live. In spite of everything, one thing we must realize is that although sprawl is a danger to our quality of live, it is not inevitable and we can improve the way we live. We can have cleaner air and water, more choices in transportation systems, a variety of places to live in, as well as more open spaces, lush wildlife and rich farm lands. We can improve our vast urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods by using smart-growth solutions to address the problems caused by sprawl. > > One thing we can improve on is creating even more pedestrian-friendly developments where accessibility to the places we live, study or work is easy. We can minimize our daily travel time by making investments in efficient public transportation systems, including modern commuter trains and clean buses. Also, by adding more walking, skating and bicycling zones we can help commuters be safe when traveling. > > By Revitalizing our urban and suburban neighborhoods, public spaces, facilities and many others, we help create a healthy and safe environment for everyone to live in. Maintaining the developments and structures around us allows us to minimize the unnecessary expenses we incur in building newer places that we often don’t need.

_T H E R A M PA N T EP I DEM IC OF SP R AW L

We can design our homes in proportion to the family and occupant sizes in order to increase the efficient use of land. We need to create a balance between good design, comfort and density in order to build quality homes. One must remember that having a smaller house doesn’t necessarily mean it will be cramped or insufficient for our daily tasks. In fact, many urban and suburban developments today follow smart-growth methods and they have produced numerous happy families and occupants. > > If we start building our cities and neighborhoods better by using environmentallyfriendly long-term plans for our cities and suburbs, we can all achieve a better living space that benefits our health as well as our environment. All it takes is helping people change habits for the good and in turn, we leave the future generation with a world that they can live comfortably in. > >

_00059

sub

THE PROJECT OF

burbia

IS THE GREATEST MISALLOCATION OF RESOURCES IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

—James H. Kunstler, WRITER AND Social Critic

≤ ≤

DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR_Erin O. Canoy INSTRUCTOR_Ariel Grey COURSE_Typography 3: Complex Heirarchy PHOTOGRAPHY_Stock Exchange, Flickr and various sources TYPEFACE_United Serif and Sans Serif Family by House Industries PAPER_Red River 50lb. Premium Matte Double Sided Paper

the 2012 new urbanism conference RETROFITTING AMERICA’S LANDSCAPE AGAINST SPRAWL

SAN FRANCISCO_CA SEPTEMBER 2012