Sustainable Development

Green development Developing and using land with consideration of the environmental impact Things considered: Arrangement of the land used (buildings, parks, natural areas, etc.) Architecture of buildings (design and materials) Modes of operation ( Energy, water, transportation, waste handling, etc.)

Suburban Sprawl Outward expansion of cities to more spread out and rural areas

What are some pros and cons of suburban sprawl?

Pros of suburban sprawl Families have a lot of space to themselves Privacy Land costs less as you move away from the city Lower crime rates Better schools Less noise and pollution

Cons of suburban sprawl…

Single use zoning Designating areas for one specific purpose, such as: -residential (housing) -commercial (malls and stores) -industrial (businesses and warehouses) Requires people to drive around for almost every activity Houses are not in close enough proximity with other services to justify more sustainable transportation

High auto-dependency The design of sprawled suburbs demands the frequent use of auto-mobiles Studies show that people are not willing to walk or bike places over a half mile away… lazy bones Don’t you wish you could just walk 2 min. to your BFF’s houses?

High infrastructure costs and per- capita energy usage It costs a lot of money to run plumbing, electrical, cable, etc. out to all of these spread out houses and businesses Far more energy is required to run the homes and businesses when they are spread out Fewer people are using more energy

Every house looks the same! Home owners associations and city ordinances place restrictions on what your suburban house looks like, creating a monolopy board

Sustainable city planning involves: Closer proximity homes -build up instead of out Multi-purpose zoning Convenient and efficient modes of sustainable transportation Infrastructure that encourages low energy use and reduced waste

Conventional Home

Conventional homes waste: Money Materials Energy Water Heat

Green home building In the past, green homes were out of reach financially for most people They are slowly becoming more affordable for the middle class families

Geothermal heating/cooling Heating and cooling a building using the temperature of the earth below the surface

Passive solar heating Using the sun’s natural heat and light to keep air and water temperatures at desirable levels at different times of the year Allows houses under certain conditions to be heated in the winter with zero energy cost RNE RNE

Recycled and renewable materials Many materials are available that reduce environmental impact significantly Examples: o Bamboo o Recycled plastic floor tiles o Recycled lumber (companies take houses apart piece by piece and sell used buildng materials) o Used brick and masonry