URBAN STRESS Environmental Quality, Health and Social Issues

In all cities…  A high density of people, industry and traffic leads to major environmental impacts  POLLUTION (air and water) Los Angeles, California

Air Pollution  Motor vehicles emit chemicals and compounds that pollute the air: Ozone – photochemical smog Nitrous oxides Carbon monoxide Sulphur dioxide SO DANGEROUS!

Air Pollution  Most dangerous = Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) - Example: BENZENE – leads to cancer in lungs

What is to blame for so much air pollution?  Construction of expressways that go across the entire metro areas  Bad public transportation systems  No pedestrian footpaths or bike paths

So then we won’t build expressways…  Then other roads that weren’t meant for so much traffic will become clogged  This leads to wasted fuel and AIR POLLUTION  Example: Bangkok, Thailand The average car spends about 44 days a year idling in traffic jams

Bangkok, Thailand

Other Sources of Air Pollution  Burning of biomass, wood, coal, etc. for cooking and heating  In shanties – street dwellers even burn trash and plastic (INDIA)

Water Pollution  Many homes in LEDCs aren’t connected to sewage systems  SO, they dump waste into streams, canals, etc.  If the waste is organic waste the following illness pose risk: Cholera Acute diarrhea Dysentery Typhoid Viral Hepatitis A, E Polio

But did you know…  In LEDCs, urban residents actually have a much greater ability to access clean water supplies than rural residents

On the flip side…  Air quality in the world’s cities is worse than air quality in rural areas.  The amount of air pollution depends on:  1. The quantity of pollution produced  2. The amount of wind that blows through

Urban Heat Islands  Urban areas are warmer than their surroundings  Sealed surfaces like roads and roofs absorb large amounts of heat during the day  At night the heat is released, warming the city air  Heat is generated much faster in cities: industrialization, cars, heating homes, people working

Other Urban Stresses  1. Excessive Size and Movement  Population growth = urban sprawl  Farm land turned into urban areas = loss of jobs for farmers  Food now transported longer distances  More burning of fossil fuels  Transport Difficulties – urban sprawl = more people living further away from work = commuting = traffic jams = waste of resources = idea for public transport but it is often too cheap and undesirable

Other Urban Stresses  2. Overcrowding – too many people in too little space – competing for too few services and jobs  3. Shortage of Housing – problem in every city in LEDCs (shanty settlements, squatters, slum housing)

Other Urban Stresses  4. Services – tax revenues are low which leads to limited public services  Street maintenance  Garbage collection  No running water  No sewage disposal  Power shortages

Other Urban Stresses  5. Unemployment and Underemployment – jobs that are below someone’s capabilities or jobs that people aren’t necessarily needed for  6. Racial and Ethnic Issues – most people live in harmony but at times there are tensions

Westernization vs. Modernization  Modernization = raising the living standards, incorporating new technologies and economic practices  Westernization = seen as abandonment of traditional cultural beliefs, values and ways of life in favor of European or American lifestyles.  Hedonism (pleasure most important goal), Materialism  Architecture  ‘Fast food’