
What Is Urban Sprawl? Buzzword or Environmental Catastrophe?
November 22, 2024 - Emily Newton
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If you live in a city, you’ve probably heard the phrase “urban sprawl.” Some consider it a buzzword used by city planners and environmentalists alike — however, it has a much more profound importance.
Cities are epicenters for employment opportunities, amenities and entertainment, drawing millions of people each year. Yet, urban sprawl has imposed dire environmental effects on the living world and society, especially as metropolitan populations rapidly increase. As a result, planners are left to develop solutions for reducing the impact of expanding cities.
Defining Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl can be defined as the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into nearby suburban and rural areas. Essentially, when city dwellers tire of their crowded surroundings, they spread out into less-developed regions. They move out of the city, trying to find a better place to live, raise their children and age.
Also known as suburban sprawl, metropolitan sprawl and suburbanization, this phenomenon has been a common development approach nationwide for at least 200 years. It has existed since humans stopped being hunter-gatherer tribe members and started to settle down into communities. Often, it’s aligned with expanding public transportation and wider-spread access to essential services.
While this delivers opportunities for architects, engineers and city planners who have to design the infrastructure for these new suburban areas, it’s not best for the environment or the impending threats of climate change.
Why Do Urban Population Centers Sprawl?
What causes urban sprawl other than the desire to get away from large groups of people? One factor is that land is often more affordable outside of the city. This encourages people to purchase small or large tracts of undeveloped land to carve out a place of their own.
For example, according to one analysis, over 600 of the 777 suburban neighborhoods within 30 miles of the United States’ most costly cities are easier on the wallet. Some areas are even 65% more affordable. Despite the steep cost of living, rising income levels mean people have more money to support a further commute to and from work.
Moving out of the city, where space is often at a premium, also means people can afford to have larger homes. According to Hannah Jones — an economic analyst with Realtor.com — suburban homes are, on average, about 24.2% less expensive than those in the 10 largest U.S. cities. In New York City, suburban homes are 49.5% less expensive than the heart of the city with more square footage. This appeals to those who pay exorbitant rent for a tiny apartment.
Aside from getting more bang for your buck, a lack of urban planning can also create damaging sprawl — just look at Houston, Texas. The lack of urban planning and uncontrolled sprawl created a perfect storm for the devastating flooding after Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
Houston added 1.3 million residents from 2000 to 2023. Despite an influx of new jobs, salaries remain low, increasing poverty rates. Unfortunately, much of the Houston metropolitan area is converted wetland, hindering stormwater absorption and worsening flood conditions.
Negative Effects of Urban Sprawl
Whatever the reason, the negative effects of urban sprawl are detrimental to the environment. Some of the environmental impacts include the following:
- Increased levels of air and water pollution: More people means more pollution and even the eco-friendliest suburb produces some pollution.
- Larger commute-related carbon footprint: Just because people are moving to the suburbs doesn’t mean they’re also investing in electric cars. They’re driving further and further to work, which increases their carbon footprint.
- Vacant buildings: When a suburb runs out of money, people often abandon it. This leaves empty houses and businesses dotting the landscape, which deteriorate and release chemicals into the surrounding land.
- Animal habitat destruction: When you cut down a forest to perpetuate urban sprawl, you are destroying the habitats of potentially hundreds of plants, animals and insects. Those with large populations might move, but those with small populations or specific environmental needs might end up going extinct.
- Fewer farms: We don’t have a food shortage — yet — but when you take over farmland to build suburban housing, you lessen the land’s agriculture capacity and make it harder for farmers to meet their yearly harvest quotas.
In Florida, urban sprawl made the state’s west coast more vulnerable to tropical cyclones. For instance, Hurricane Ian caused a 63.75% loss of vegetation cover, decreasing carbon sequestration, soil and water stabilization and habitat. From a city scope, the loss of green spaces impacts infiltration, surface runoff and evapotranspiration which are critical to mitigating flooding.
The Future of Sustainable Urban Development
With all these adverse effects, what can we do to slow down urban sprawl? City planners have turned their attention to sustainable urban development to address the needs of migrating populations and resolve the environmental effects before it’s too late.
Some cities are already taking steps to reduce the impact of this uncontrolled growth. Shanghai, China, is building “sponge cities” that replace impermeable concrete and asphalt with permeable substances that allow stormwater to absorb into the ground rather than flooding the cities. In fact, the Shanghai Water Authority hopes to turn 40% of its urban areas into sponge cities by 2025 and 80% of them by 2030. The agency has drafted a comprehensive plan outlining the steps to achieve this goal.
The key here is a combination of smart growth and new urbanism. Smart growth relies on city planners to make intelligent choices for their urban and suburban environments. Creating urban centers that work with the land rather than taking it over needs to become a priority. New urbanism focuses on turning existing cities into places that don’t negatively impact the environment — reducing pollution, providing more avenues for foot and bicycle traffic and more.
NYC’s High Line Park is an excellent example of a mixed-use urban space integrating social and environmental benefits. The park, which measures 1.52 miles and is built on an abandoned railroad on Manhattan’s west side, is layered with native flora, and has seating and walking paths for the 7 million-plus visitors it receives annually. The vegetation has helped boost biodiversity and deepened people’s connection with nature.
These sustainable spaces are crucial as urban planners seek ways to address urban sprawl and environmental issues within metropolitan areas. Currently, the human population has been at 8 billion since 2022. However, trends predict it’ll reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion by the mid-2080s — and all those people will need places to live. We can still create and expand cities. However, we must remember to build them in such a way that we don’t damage the planet any further.
Smart Planning Can Mitigate Urban Sprawl
Urban planning is no easy feat when it comes to protecting the environment. City officials must address urban sprawl and create more resilient cities that work with the living world. Comprehensive drafts and implementation can ensure cities don’t impede on the environment any more than they have already while still creating a safe and liveable place for all.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on July 10, 2018, and was updated on November 22, 2024, to provide readers with more updated information and examples of urban sprawl.
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Author
Emily Newton
Emily Newton is a technology and industrial journalist and the Editor in Chief of Revolutionized. She manages the sites publishing schedule, SEO optimization and content strategy. Emily enjoys writing and researching articles about how technology is changing every industry. When she isn't working, Emily enjoys playing video games or curling up with a good book.