Effects of suburban sprawl?

Question

I am a junior taking an environmental science class. I have to write a paper on SUBURBAN SPRAWL. I live out in the country and don't know much about suburban sprawl. I need to know more about the effects of it. (infrastructure, taking of land, costs of roads, houses, taxes, land use planning etc.) If you could please describe to me more about this topic that would be great!

thank you

Answer 1

Taxes go up.  Because the more people, the more roads need built, more maintenance on public works, more parks being build, more Fire and Police Departments and schools.  Pollution increases, because more commuters and they have to travel increased distance to work in increased traffic.  Land values tend to rise, because land space becomes more scarce.  As land values rise, property taxes rise also.  Costs to maintain roads goes up, (of course you wouldn't know it as most roads are in poor condition after only a few years).  In my humble opinion, suburban sprawl is a cancer of this planet, and people are the infection.

-Just a summary,

-Mark

Answer 2

The effects of suburban sprawl, (if by that you mean horizontal expansion of a city) are many, I'll try to make a listing.

1.) Infraestructure:

The biggest problem is in this area. You can't build big schools/hospitals because there isn't a dense enough population, so the (local) government has to build many smaller versions of them (which is a lot more expensive). Secondly, there is a much larger area that needs basic security (police) coverage, and you have to build more stations widespread.

2.) Taking of land:

Normally, in "tall" cities, the urban land area is (in comparison) quite small, and the rular zones nearby provide all the agriculture needed. In "extense" cities (with suburban sprawl), all/most of the land is used as urban zones, and the agriculture porivded must extend itself a lot more. Thus, more land is needed to sustain less people, and...

3.) Costs of roads:

You have to build a larger road network, which also needs constant maintenance. Most probably in a such a city, you'll have a commercial zone in the middle, and low-density residential areas in the outskirts, and all the people will want to go to the center in the morning (for work) and in the afternoons they'll go back to their homes. Traffic density flow like radiuses from the center and congestion is quite higher, and with it comes heavy, additional pollution.

4.) Taxes:

They tend to be somewhat higher because of point 1 and some other services like garbage recolection.

5.) Land use planning

A not so obvious effect of this sprawl, is that more areas are coverede by streets/houses, and rain water must be collected  in a wider area (whereas outside a "tall" city all the extra water is collected by the land itself). Also, drinkable water must be transported much longer. Thus, the aqueducts and sewers must be much bigger, and this requires a bigger effort.

Also, electric power transportation (either aerial or underground) are much more expensive for logical reasons.

(Remeber that both power and water transportation requires manteinance)

I think that'll be it. Hope this helps!