Uriel Gam Johann O.

Alemanio
11- Cullen
Urbanization: Making It More Sustainable

Imagine a day when the sight you wake up to in the morning is all skyscrapers
and buildings covering up the sky, when not a single bird is flying in the air, and
humanity loses all touch with nature. We may think it harmless, but sprawling urban
areas might not be as great as we think they are, and could even make our current
situation worse. We need to keep in mind, the effects that urban sprawl can have to
our environment, that way, we can plan for a more sustainable city and community.
I grew up in a city that is constantly growing every day, and these growing
communities will have a long term effect on the city’s environment, and I want to raise
awareness on the importance of planning before we lose sight of nature. To plan for a
better, more sustainable city, we need to remember the effects that urban sprawl can
have. Firstly, I will be defining urban sprawl in order for us to gain a better
understanding on what it is. Secondly, I will enumerate its impacts on our environment,
what can happen if we disregard planning in our communities. And lastly, I will be
talking about why we have to keep the thought of urban sprawl in mind when planning
for a better and more sustainable city.
Many different people and sites have their own definition of Urban Sprawl.
According to the Merriam-Webster English Dictionary, it is the spreading of urban
development, like houses and malls, on undeveloped land near a city. Urban sprawl
is the pattern of low density expansion of large urban communities, mainly into
surrounding agricultural areas, according to the European Environment Agency in
2006. To summarize, urban sprawl is the growth of urban communities on unstable
land surrounding the city, and oftentimes, these developments happen without
planning.
Urban Sprawl has a lot of impacts on our environment, mostly negative. The
European Environmental Agency has stated that urban development increases the
consumption of natural resources, such as land and soil, which are taken up for
housing and roads, urban sprawl has also increased demands for raw materials
typically in remote locations that require transportation. Because of the increase
demand for transportation and longer commutes, from these areas being farther from
the city, the amount of pollution in the air increases because of the high carbon
emission. Water pollution is also increased because of site erosion, gasoline, and
chemicals from urban development, but water consumption is also heightened from
the increasing population.
Planning for a better and more sustainable city is something we have to keep
in mind. Tian, Li, Yan and Wang has stated that “With rapid and large-scale city
construction, local governments need to enhance their control over urban
development. Local planning is a major tool to serve that purpose,”. The University of
Texas, Arlington, also said that in order to accomplish the goals of sustainability, urban
planners need to create solutions to help communities lessen their impact on the
environment.
Urban sprawl is the growth of urban development on surrounding unstable land
with no regards for planning, and can pose dangerous effects towards our environment
and our resources, it can increase air and water pollution, and causes high
consumption of raw materials. We have to remember that planning can help us create
more sustainable communities, and help lessen the effects of Urban Sprawl. Keep this
in mind lanning for a more sustainable city, is much easier than planning how to live
without our environment.