Chapter 14, Section 2: Urban Land Use Standards: SEV1c, 5d

What is urbanization? The movement of people from rural areas to cities. Mostly caused by people searching for jobs

Fast Growth vs. Slow Growth Urban areas that grow quickly: Not enough infrastructure to support so many people Traffic jams b/c not enough roads Overcrowded schools b/c not enough school buildings Overflowing or malfunctioning sewer systems Too many people can cause living conditions for all to deteriorate- called urban crisis. Infrastructure was introduced in an earlier chapter. Infrastructure is anything that a society builds for public use. Roads, bridges, canals, water treatment plants, power lines, police stations, schools, libraries, hospitals are all examples. Shanty town on the outskirts of Hong Kong

Fast Growth vs. Slow Growth Urban areas that grow slowly: Roads & public transportation are built to handle growth. Traffic flows easily. Green spaces & recreational areas are planned. Green spaces provide temperature moderation for the city, a place for rainwater to seep into soil (instead of flooding) and a place to relax. The more concrete & asphalt surfaces you have in a city, the more likely you will see flooding on streets during heavy rains. When you have green areas near roads the soil acts like a sponge and soaks up rainwater. Concrete/asphalt do not have the capacity to act like a sponge. Concrete buildings absorb and retain a lot of heat. Green spaces that contain trees, grass, soil will reflect this heat or trap and use it so city doesn’t get too hot.

What are the suburbs? Areas on the outskirts of a city. People usually commute into city via car or public transportation. When city expands to countryside its called urban sprawl. Suburbs are usually built on farmland or in denuded forests. If population grows & urban sprawl continues, where will we grow our food?

What are problems associated with urban sprawl? Marginal Land Use Land that is not suitable for building Mountain sides Coastal areas If city is poorly planned for future growth then suburbs may expand into marginal lands. Ex: Los Angeles was built in a valley. As population grew, people moved up the side of mountains to build homes. Homes subject to landslides.

What are problems associated with urban sprawl? 2. Heat Island Effect Cities are warmer than rural areas Roads/buildings trap and store more heat than vegetation. Can alter local weather patterns Hot air in city rises, cools, causes rain If fewer green spaces to absorb rainfall then have more flooding Heat leads to human health problems- heat stroke Urban Heat Islands on The Weather Channel - YouTube

How SHOULD cities be planned? Land-use planning- determining in advance how land will be used Where will houses go? Where will businesses be located? What areas should be protected for recreation & wildlife? Where will our water come from?

How SHOULD cities be planned? Mass Transit systems Buses Trains (NY subway, MARTA, Maglevs) Using mass transit Saves energy Reduces traffic Reduces air pollution Decreases land covered by road/parking lot b/c can be built above/below ground. Maglevs are magnetic levitation trains. Use magnets to start, stop, propel the train. Maglev train video clip- The Futures Channel

How SHOULD cities be planned? Open Spaces (aka greenbelts) Land within urban area set aside for scenic & recreational enjoyment. Ex: parks, gardens, bike trails, hiking trails Important for Pollution filtration CO2 removal Temperature control Absorbing water from rainstorm runoff Exercise & relaxation

Atlanta’s Beltline Project Transforming 22 miles of old railroad track into space for walking, biking, recreation. First part is complete. Government trying to raise money for entire project BeltLine Provides New Life to Railroad Tracks in Atlanta - NYTimes.com

What tools are used by land use planners to plan development? Geographic Information Systems (GIS)- computerized system for storing, manipulating, & viewing geographic data. Allows planner to see layers of information so can see what is present and what could be added/altered to an area.

What are the problems associated with land-use planning? Land-Use planning is difficult to follow through with b/c Government requires environmental impact reports of any building projects Citizens have right to comment on reports Many disagreements over plans

You should be able to… Describe the urban crisis & explain how people are addressing it. Explain how urban areas create heat islands. Explain how open spaces provide environmental benefits to urban areas. Describe how a GIS system can be used as a land use planning tool.