1. Urban Sprawl

2. What is Urban Sprawl?  Urban Sprawl - the creation of urbanized areas that spread into rural areas.

3. Residential Land  Suburban- areas surrounding metropolitan centers with low population densities.  Exurban- similar to suburban areas, but are not connected to any central city or densely populated area.

5. Urban Sprawl  The four main concerns of urban sprawl in the U.S. are:  automobiles and highway construction  living costs (people can get more land and a larger house in the suburbs for the same amount of money)  urban blight (city revenue shrinks as people move to the suburbs)  government policies

6. Problems with Urban Sprawl

7. Feedback Loop? Positive Feedback Loop? Urban blight Government policies

8. Land-Use Planning Theory (urban design)  Plan for the needs of the community while safeguarding natural resources.  Scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural communities.  The American Planning Association states that the goal of land-use planning is to further the welfare of people and their communities by creating convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient, and attractive environments for present and future generations.

9. Smart Growth  Mixed land uses  create a range of housing opportunities and choices  create walkable neighborhoods  encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions  take advantage of compact building design  Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place  Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas  Provide a variety of transportation choices  Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities  Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost-effective

11. Federal Regulations  1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)- mandates an environmental assessment of all projects involving federal money or permits. (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act)—ensure protection of nation’s resources.  Environmental impact statement (EIS) - outlines the scope and purpose of the project. EIS may suggest alternative approaches and analyzes the environmental impact of each alternative  Environmental mitigation plan- outlines how the developer will address concerns raised by the projects impact on the environment.

12. Government Policies  Highway Trust Fund- a federal gasoline tax to pay for construction and maintenance of roads and highways.  Zoning- a planning tool to create quieter and safer communities. For example, prohibiting the development of a factory or strip mall in a residential area.  Multi-use zoning- allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the same area.  Subsidized mortgages- low interest rates offered to people to purchase a home that would otherwise not be able to do so.

13. Road Patterns  Older Urban

14. Road Patterns  New Suburban (Urban Sprawl)

15. Population Growth  Urban Sprawl is fueled by population Growth:  CA now 32 million (doubled since 1960)  Added 6 million in 1980s  Plus 1/2 million/year in 1990s  San Diego County is now ~2,950,000 but is expected to reach 3,850,000 by 2010  So Cal will go from 19 to almost 25 million (2 Chicagos in 20 years)

16. Growth Options  Pro-Growth:  Rural and poor areas  Want more infrastructure, more jobs, more people  No-Growth:  Upper-Income areas  Concerned about environment, traffic, and NIMBY

17. Smart Growth  Compromise: economic activity should occur in urban areas and preserve open spaces  Must reverse trend of restricting urban growth and promoting development in less regulated periphery  Higher Density housing/mixed use  Revitalize older communities as more desirable places to live

18. SOFARSOFAR plan  In SD County General Plan  outside boundary 40 and 80 acre minimum parcels  Protect watershed, agriculture, wildlife, scenery, tourism  Watershed is key: plants and open ground clean and filter water as opposed to runoff from asphalt, parking lots, and streets

19. Endangered Species Act  Purpose: Conserve ecosystems of endangered species and  Prohibit “take” of species, including harm to habitat that impairs the species  Over 200 listed plant and animal species in San Diego  gnatcatcher, tortoise, kangaroo rat, etc.  One of 25 most diverse habitat areas in the world (desert, mtns, climate, etc.)

20. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  If want to develop land must file an Environment Impact Report (CA Environmental Quality Act)  If incidentally “takes” habitat of listed species, must get a permit from the fish and wildlife service  Must specify impacts, how to mitigate impacts, and alternatives so won’t reduce the species

21. Single-Species Approach  Coastal CA Gnatcatcher  lives in coastal sage scrub  essentially put a brake on all development in CA  Single-Species approach wasn’t working  Needed to protect wildlife while preserving growth  Need a more ecosystem-based approach

22. Multi-Species Approach  Habitat Islands in an Urban Sea  The greater the area preserved, the greater the number of species possible  So, need to preserve big areas  San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP)MSCP  Allows for regional conservation

23. San Diego MSCP  Voluntary Cooperation of many local governments in exchange for  Planning Certainty for future development (not species by species)  What about private property rights?  Are not unlimited: i.e. Zoning  short step from housing set backs and small signs to protecting open spaces

24. Other CA Growth Issues  Electricity Crisis: Suspended some regulations to speed plant construction  Outraged environmental groups and NIMBY homeowners  Zero Emission Vehicles  “Brownfields” and need for Urban School property  Storm Water Regulations

25. Political Response Split along class lines:  Wealthier more concerned about environmental issues  Less fortunate demand economic and social improvement  All are happy to have growth pull us out of a recession but then face environmental fallout