Land Use

Urban Sprawl

"The cities will be part of the country; I shall live 30 miles from my office in one direction, under a pine tree; my secretary will live 30 miles away from it too, in the other direction, under another pine tree. We shall both have our own car. We shall use up tires, wear out road surfaces and gears, consume oil and gasoline. All of which will necessitate a great deal of work ... enough for all." - Le Corbusier, The Radiant City (1967)

 

“…we shall solve the city problem by leaving the city.” Henry Ford 1922

Learning Objectives

  • Evaluate current land use patterns  
  • Identify methods for sustainable development 

Agenda

  1. Introduce Bright Spot Project
  2. Slides - Sprawl 
  3. Activity - Smart Growth Principles 
  4. Complete Discussion and Assignment

Bright Spot Project

Project 2: Bright Spot Links to an external site.

Sprawl

slides Links to an external site.

Smart Growth Principles 

Smart Growth Campus/City Analysis: Analyze your campus or city using the 10 principles of smart growth Links to an external site. as a guide. Don't stay behind your computer screen for this activity. Get out and explore, walk around, ride the public transportation, etc... You may work in pairs, but each student should post to receive credit. Post your analysis here.  Links to an external site.

There are 10 accepted principles that define smart growth:

  1. Mix land uses
  2. Take advantage of compact building design
  3. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
  4. Create walkable neighborhoods
  5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
  6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas
  7. Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
  8. Provide a variety of transportation choices
  9. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective
  10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions

For each of the 10 principles, give your campus/city a grade and justify it. There is no "one-size-fits-all" measurement to grade each of these principles - the justification will take some thought and creativity. This activity of finding ways to measure and justify ambiguous concepts will be helpful in your projects. You can draw on your own experience, but the justification must be more than your opinion. Useful information for your location is probably available online (For example, here is Virginia Tech's Master Plan. And, other resources like google maps and online transportation statistics can help. Here is an abbreviated example. 

Principle

Grade

Justification

Provide a variety of transportation choices

B

Bus system is in place, Walking is possible for on-campus, Biking is possible but can be unsafe. (In a city where the data is available, information like Vehicle Miles Per Day Links to an external site. would provide insight on this principle)

Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities

D

Despite land available within walking distance to campus, cheap housing combined with abundant parking encourages living away from campus. (Google maps shows this) 


Assignment

  1. Read Download Suburban Nation and answer the question - What are the effects of sprawl on infrastructure systems? Choose a specific infrastructure (transportation, water/waste water, electricity grid, communications, public spaces, etc...). Provide a specific example of the effects of sprawl. Make connections to the reading of Suburban Nation. What is the cost of this sprawl? Who is paying for it? Submit your report on the cost of sprawl to the Assignment Cost of Sprawl. Your report should be no more than 3 pages. Post your answers here.  Links to an external site.
  2. Watch Jeff Speck's Ted Talk about Sprawl 

Link Links to an external site.