Tackling Sprawl and Transportation Issues Produced by Amanda Lawson Delaware Geographic Alliance – University of Delaware Funded by Space Grant

Introduction US Population Reference Bureau estimates that US population will grow by 22% in the next 15 years (from 2011) In Delaware, population is expected to grow by 28% between 2000 and 2025 – Approximately 221,000 people More people means more homes, schools, roads, and other services needed This map projects an almost 3% growth in many states in just five years from 2009!

Think About It! If we have more people living in the United States, how do we handle the growth without destroying our natural resources? – Do we build more roads? – Should we have more buses? – Do we build more houses? Where will these people go and how will they get there?

How Land Use Affects Transportation As more development takes place, we are faced with what is known as sprawl. Sprawl is the growth of a city and suburbs that spreads onto rural land. – Often in the form of housing or commercial buildings like stores, malls, and restaurants

How Land Use Affects Transportation Sprawl is linked to transportation and pollution issues because people live farther away from their jobs and schools and need to drive more. Houses, businesses, and recreational areas no longer built near each other. New developments generally do not have neighborhood schools or a “main street” for shopping Office buildings are usually miles away from residential areas

Example of Sprawl: San Jose, CA

Impacts from Sprawl Because things are so spread out, walking, biking, and even public transit are often no longer practical More development means more infrastructure (streets, schools, sewer systems, etc) which costs money to build The more we build these things, the less money we have to take care of existing roads and buildings New developments often built on farmland or wooded areas and we lose trees, open space, and natural habitats

Example: Delaware Delaware used to be very rural in a lot of areas. There were plenty of farmland and open spaces. However, increasing populations are making farmlands and open spaces disappear

Example: Delaware In 2006, 71,000 acres of farmland existed in New Castle County. That sounds like a lot, but only 18,442 acres are protected from future development. The rest could go away as more development occurs. Agriculture (tan), forested areas (green) and wetlands (light blue) are being taken over by more urban (red) and commercial/industrial (gray) areas

Example: Delaware Because of all this development, most of us now live miles from where we work or go to school. For example, people might go to work or school in Wilmington and live in Middletown This means we have to drive more, which means more traffic Many people in Delaware spend a lot of time driving to work!

Transportation Alternatives Cars are the most frequently used method of transportation in the US. Think about methods other than cars. Pick two alternative methods. Brainstorm three advantages and three disadvantages that you can think of for each.

Transportation Alternatives MethodGoodBad CAR

An Interesting Experiment – Packing Pavement Originally appeared as a newspaper article in Tampa Tribune. Provides a simple, yet powerful demonstration of how much space cars actually consume and how they affect the look of our environment. The premise – take the same 40 people and apply them into different methods of transportation

This first photo shows what it looks like when 40 people in 40 cars fill four lanes of Tampa’s Marion Street. Then each driver exchanges their car for a chair in the same location. Notice how much more space is now available.

Next, they assume the pose of transit riders, clustering their seats in one bus- sized space. That ridiculously small group of people sitting together is what a full bus looks like, without the bus. Finally, they take their places in the urban landscape as pedestrians and cyclists. Does that street look crowded? Not at all.

Fighting Sprawl If sprawl and transportation is such a problem, what can we do to fix it? One way to overcome sprawl is to support ideas that promote planned growth.

What is Planned Growth? Planned growth is a type of development that mixes business and houses. Office buildings are located close to residential areas in the town center, allowing for walking, biking, and public transit. Encourages developments to build sidewalks, bike lanes, and bus shelters Reduces pollution, preserves farmland, increases safety

Example of Planned Community: Avalon Park Plenty of housing around community within walking distance of the town center Town center featuring offices, shops, businesses, and mixed use development Schools directly within community Plenty of open and green areas and attractive parks

Example of Planned Growth: Seaside, FL

More information Video on sprawl and planned growth – Uses the examples of Atlanta (sprawling) and Glenwood Park (planned growth) Video on sprawl and planned growth