FREE ESSAY ON URBAN SPRAWL

URBAN SPRAWL

Urban Sprawl is a problem that will have severe consequences for all life if left
unrestricted. The unrestricted development of the United States and the world is rapidly
contributing to the degradation of our ecosystem. Moreover, if over development continues
there will be massive human suffering. Air and water quality are in jeopardy and topsoil
is being lost at an alarming rate. If something isn't done soon to curtail rampant
development there may be no way to prevent its destructive consequences.
In order to understand Urban Sprawl it is imperative to understand the history and origin
of cities. The historic causes of urbanization and then sub urbanization can be linked to
capitalism. Although many would argue that the first cities came to exist due to an
innate human need for solidarity, these Neolithic cities, such as Mesopotamia were mere
villages in comparison to the metropolises of the last 200 years. True cities emerge when
one class of individuals dominates another in order to extract a surplus. Whether it be
the nobles exploiting the peasants in the middle ages, or Henry Ford exploiting
autoworkers in 20th century Detroit, it is exploitation for the accumulation of wealth
that is the catalyst of the city. When development is based on the marketplace it will be
designed to maximize profit rather than maximize the health and welfare of its
inhabitants. Least of all, the capitalist city has the least regard for ecology. The
result is a sprawling detriment to human and ecological health.
At no time was this more evident than The Industrial Revolution. Europeans and then
Americans found it profitable to harness rivers for power. They built gristmills first,
and then saw mills, then textile mills. Eventually, entrepreneurs would produce anything
that they could create a market for. Along the way they exploited what ever was
available. Men, women children and immigrants competed for the lowest wages. Of course
the earth itself was also exploited. Rivers were harnessed for their ability to turn the
wheels. They were also utilized as a means to carry away industrial refuse. Eventually,
Coal and other fossil fuels would be extracted to power steam engines. Raw materials were
also extracted. Metal, lumber, and several other raw materials were converted to consumer
goods.
The Industrial Revolution transformed once agrarian communities into industrial
complexes. The pursuit of the wage concentrated populations into urban manufacturing
centers such as Woonsocket RI., Lowell Ma., Merrimack NH., and Biddeford Me. What ensued
was a large influx of immigrants from Ireland, Canada, Eastern Europe and South East
Asia. This increase in population simultaneously increased the density and the area of
cities. Furthermore, by the mechanism that Allen Pred called the Multiplier Effect the
increased population created an increase in demand for goods. Thus, cities grew rapidly.

The advent of efficient forms of transportation such as canals and the railroad
multiplied human ability to exploit Earth's resources and distribute them. This opened
trade routes and created new cities. Some cities were formed based solely on these new
forms of transportation. They were places to get off the train and spend the night, or
refueling stations. Moreover, the railroads made it possible to bring raw materials from
all over for transformation into consumer goods in the cities. 
The economic opportunities of manufacturing was the catalyst of the great migration of
Southern African/Americans to Northern Manufacturing centers like Detroit. Just as the
increase in immigrant labor had been doing for 100 years the influx of Southern
African/Americans created a labor surplus. Of course the mill owning Bourgeoisie took
advantage of this surplus by allowing working conditions to deteriorate in order to
maximize profits.
As conditions deteriorated workers united and the labor movement was born. The
International Workers of the World (IWW), The United Auto Workers (UAW), and several
other labor movements changed the way that workers were treated. Movements for safe
working conditions, 8-hour workdays, and fair wages were successful. However,
Corporations eventually circumvented this obstacle by moving their operations where labor
was more exploitable. First they moved to the American South. Then, relatively recently,
corporations moved to Third world countries where labor and environmental restrictions
were lax if they even existed. The deindustrialization of the 1950's has as much to do
with the deterioration of the American city as industrialization had to do with creating
it.
What remains are several abandoned manufacturing facilities. The loss of jobs results in
poverty and the degradation of neighborhoods. Areas that were once the cosmopolitan areas
of the cities become ghettos. Worcester's Main South with its grandiose French Second
Empire and Queen Anne mansions that are now labeled slums support this assertion. Those
who have the means to leave flee the city for suburbia. The advent of the automobile
facilitates sub urbanization and sprawl is born. One after the other rural areas fall
victim to sub urbanization. It spreads out from the city like ripples from a stone thrown
in undisturbed water. Suburbs of Boston are now cities. Arlington, Brookline, Cambridge,
etc. are consumed by the city. Eventually the sub urbanization spreads further West into
Framingham. Currently Westboro, Shrewsbury, Millbury and many other towns along the
Massachusetts turnpike are being invaded by homebuyers who work in Boston. Moreover, in
an effort to enhance their recruiting ability corporations such as Compaq build
facilities in rural areas further encroaching on ecologically sensitive areas. However,
this does not decrease commute time or miles. In fact, from 1983 to 1990 mean vehicle
miles per household rose 29% . As these jobs become available in suburban areas with free
parking and attractive landscapes they become attractive to everyone rather than just
those in the local community. Therefore, cross commuting becomes common and travel miles
increase. Consequently, increased traffic leads to street and highway expansion and
development furthering deforestation and encroachment on wildlife habitat. Furthermore,
this leads to global warming.
As urban conditions deteriorate more of its population moves out seeking better
conditions. As a result service sector jobs move out of the city to suburban strip malls
further increasing urban unemployment. The urban dwellers cannot afford to live in the
suburbs, nor do they have the means to commute to the suburban jobs. The result is
poverty concentration in the inner city. Of course, the affluent suburban dwellers want
to gain as much distance from this poverty concentration as possible further causing the
povertization of cities.
Author Anthony Downs of the Brookings Institute argues that as suburban population
increases and support services move to suburbia the city will become obsolete . Many
suburban areas no longer depend on their urban centers. They now have their own
supermarkets, financial institutions, retailers ETC. Some cities lost 25% of their jobs
while their suburbs enjoyed a 5% increase between 1969 and 1986 . As these jobs are lost
the urban dwellers fall into a greater state of poverty than already exists. Urban tax
bases are decreased and there is decreased investment in schools. These factors increase
the gap between classes. Urban students receive inferior education compared to their
suburban counterparts. 
Urban decline leads to increased stratification, crime and human suffering. Of course the
response of those living outside the city is that it is not their responsibility.
However, suburban dwellers have a social responsibility towards the inner city.
First, suburban residents have contributed to the urban problems by supporting
exclusionary laws that result in poverty concentration. These laws have their origins as
early as 1930. As cities became more diverse affluent Caucasian urban residents
established various legal devices including zoning, deed restrictions, and racially
restrictive covenants to impose and increase racial residential segregation. Furthermore,
real estate agents, appraisers, brokers and mortgage bankers ensured the concentration of
poor minorities by refusing them access to property or loans . Many of these exclusionary
practices persist today in the suburbs leading to a concentration of poor minorities in
the inner city.
Second, Suburbanites have an interest in decreasing the decline of urban areas because
all Americans benefit from effectively functioning urban centers and the low wage workers
living in them. Functionalists would argue that the segregation of the poor from the
affluent eliminates the ability to exploit low wage service industry labor. Thus, driving
up prices for services such as housekeeping, lawn maintenance, and other functions served
by the poor.
Third, from a Marxist perspective, it is in the best interest of the middle and upper
strata of society to ensure that poor urban dwellers have an adequate standard of living
to prevent social disruption or in other words riots. 
Those who have the means to leave flee the city for suburbia. The advent of the
automobile facilitates sub urbanization and sprawl is born. One after the other rural
areas fall victim to sub urbanization. It spreads out from the city like ripples from a
stone thrown in undisturbed water. Suburbs of Boston are now cities. Arlington,
Brookline, Cambridge, etc. are consumed by the city. Eventually the sub urbanization
spreads further West into Framingham. Currently Westboro, Shrewsbury, Millbury and many
other towns along the Massachusetts turnpike are being invaded by homebuyers who work in
Boston. Moreover, in an effort enhance their recruiting ability corporations such as
Compaq build facilities in rural areas further encroaching on ecologically sensitive
areas. However, this does not decrease commute time or miles. In fact, from 1983 to 1990
mean vehicle miles per household rose 29% (Downs, 8). As these jobs become available in
suburban areas with free parking and attractive landscapes they become attractive to
everyone rather than just those in the local community. Therefore, cross commuting
becomes common and travel miles increase. Consequently, increased traffic leads to street
and highway expansion and development furthering deforestation and encroachment on
wildlife habitat. Furthermore, this leads to global warming.
As urbanization spreads the landscape is deforested. Forestland is the only resource that
consumes the massive CO2 emissions from combustion engines. Moreover, as people move away
from the city they become more dependent on the automobile for transportation. Their
commutes are longer, and more of it is spent in gridlock traffic. This increase in CO2
emissions coupled with a decrease in CO2 consuming forestland results in an increase of
CO2 in the atmosphere which will have severe effects on human existence if left
unresolved. Public transportation is as inefficient as the automobile because there is no
longer a common destination. Rather rails and bus lines would need to branch out in a
dendritic pattern with minimal ridership. Hence, in 1990 only 5% of rush hour commuters
used public transportation while 86% used automobiles (Downs, 8).
Another consequence of urban sprawl is a decrease in precipitation absorbing wetlands. As
these wetlands are backfilled, developed, and paved there are fewer outlets for water
absorption. The result is costly and devastating floods. 
On the other hand, in developed deserts such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles water is stored
in reservoirs behind dams to supply a burdensome population. The consequence to this is
increased evaporation. In Arid areas such as these, even a 1% loss of water can have
devastating effects on biological matter. Plant life that depends on the small amount of
water dries up and dies. The soil becomes barren and is washed away by wind and rain.
What is left is a barren wasteland. 
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