Urbanization Key Issue #4: Why do suburbs have distinctive problems?

Appeal of the Suburbs Detached, single family dwelling, private land, space to park cars, and more privacy

Edge Cities Edge cities – nodes of consumer and business services around the beltway Originated as residential areas, then malls were built, office parks were attracted Specialized nodes may appear in edge cities (airport, theme park, etc…)

Density Gradient As you travel outward from the center of a city, you watch the density decline, this is called density gradient Two changes have affected the density gradient in recent years: 1.The number of people living in the center has decreased 2.The trend towards less density difference within urban areas In Europe, low-income high-rise apartments in the suburbs has also affected the density gradient

Cost of Suburban Sprawl Sprawl = the progressive spread of development over the landscape As long as demand for detached single family homes is high, sprawl will remain Sprawl can be inefficient

Suburban Segregation Modern U.S. suburbs are segregated in two ways 1.Residents are separated from commercial and manufacturing activities 2.Housing in a given community is usually built for a single social class, with others excluded by virtue of cost, size, or location of the housing –Zoning ordinances – encourage segregation

Motor Vehicles Suburban explosion in the 20 th century has depended on motor vehicles Motor vehicle ownership is nearly universal in America with the exception of some poor families, older individuals, and people living in large cities like NYC An average city allocates about ¼ of its city to roads and parking lots

Rush-Hour Commuting As much as 40% of all trips made into or out of a CBD occur during four hours of the day – 2 in the morning, 2 in the evening Rush hour In larger cities… But people prefer…

New Rapid Transit Lines The one exception to the downward trend in public transportation Fixed heavy rail – subways Fixed light rail – streetcars Many cities are seeing an increase in the use of rapid transit systems (Chicago, Boston, etc…)

Service Versus Cost Many public transportation systems are caught in a cycle; the fares do not match revenue Low-income people need to use public transportation; as jobs are taken outside the city to the suburbs, they are not able to use public transit because the transit may not reach the suburbs

Public Transit in Other Countries In more developed countries where car ownership is high, networks of tram, bus and subway have been maintained Tokyo

Federations Toronto and Ontario have a federation system Region’s six local governments are responsible for police, fire, and tax collection services A regional government, Metropolitan Council (Metro), sets the tax rate for the region as a whole

Consolidations Several U.S. urban governments have consolidated Indianapolis and Miami are examples Both have consolidated city and county governments

Growing Smart Taking steps to curb sprawl, reduce traffic congestion, and reverse inner city decline The goal = produce a pattern of compact and contiguous development while protecting land for agriculture, recreation, and wildlife Legislation to limit sprawl and preserve farmland is called smart growth