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Stoping Suburban Sprawl

alrt

Vancouver Sky-Train

Here's some shocking news (sarcasm). By encouraging the development of suburban neighborhoods we are creating pollution. You see, the further we build communities outside city limits the more we increase our dependency on vehicles. Then it becomes a 'whose grass is greener, whose car is bigger' competition.

A new Canadian study shows that governments need to be serious about developing urban communities close to transit lines. And of all people, in Canada this new study and petition is coming from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corps.

"The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s annual housing assessment states Canadian developers need to slow urban sprawl and focus building in high-density areas in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Live close to your work and try to decrease your dependency on your vehicle. Its embarrassing but after my car broke down a few months ago, I was shocked to see how useless I was without my car. Buy a bike and use it, you'll enjoy the exercise and the feeling that comes with knowing you are helping keep CO2 emissions down.

Source: CTV.ca

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  1. 1

    Michelle said:

    I agree that suburban sprawl is an issue that increases pollution due to the use of more vehicles. There are also other issues with suburban sprawl that further effect the people living there, such as cookie cutter housing that is built at such a fast rate that the workmanship is low and people are paying top dollar for a poor quality product. The design of this type of housing is not conscious about the people living there, nor any site conditions. Suburbs in Chicago look no different from suburbs in Vancouver or Regina. Isn't this an issue? Climate and site should be effecting the type of architecture, which in turn should be an appropriate, sustainable design. I think there is a problem that architects are almost never involved in the residential sector, where these conditions could be more appropriately addressed from a design perspective, not an accounting perspective of many home building companies. A sense of ownership is also missing from most current housing, especially middle class and lower income families, who can't afford to hire an architect. The slow home movement is trying to raise awareness of these issues, and has brought forward Project Outrage, which is a protest against deceitful marketing, poor construction, bad design and environmental neglect in the housing industry. I think if more people become aware of the many issues surrounding suburban sprawl, there will be a move toward a different mindset, which, on the bottom line, will create less of a environmental footprint and become even more sustainable conscious. Please visit http://www.theslowhome.com/blog/outrage/ and continue to create a protest against suburban sprawl!

    Posted at 02:31 AM, on November 19 2007

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