Choices

There are many possible futures when it comes what the American landscape will come to look like but right now we have two basic choices. We can either allow sprawl to continue  or we can take action to change our lifestyles through smart growth.





"The highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy,                          

but a love of one's country deep enough to call her to a higher standard"       

-George McGovern

As this quote from George McGovern, a political leader, says as Americans we can accept the current state of our lives as the best option for all of us or we can demand better for ourselves. When I look around the American landscape I think we can do anything we want with this world and this is what we chose to do with it? Our communities are not good enough for American citizens.  

This tables shows the advantages and disadvantages of smart growth and urban sprawl communities. 

As you can see the advantages or strengths of smart growth heavily out weigh that of urban sprawl. The disadvantages of smart growth are much easier to combat than are the weaknesses or disadvantages of urban sprawl. The lifestyle that comes with smart growth is far superior for every age group and most types of people in America. 

Urban sprawl affects America negatively in four main ways - 

It harms the environment, does not encourage a healthy lifestyle and can be unsafe, provides a poor quality of life, and is expensive and inconvenient.


When we look at the carbon footprint of an average sprawl home we get - 

The carbon footprint of an average suburban American is 12.2 – Assuming they:

-Live in a single family home

  - With three bedrooms

  - Four residents

-  Drive a van made in 2005 and   travel 10-15K a year


Where as the carbon footprint of an average smart growth American is - 

The carbon footprint of an average urban American is 4.9 – Assuming they:

-Live in a five unit apartment  complex 

--Three bedrooms

-- Four residents

-Two seater car made in 2005 and travel 100-1000




The biggest difference between the two lifestyles comes from the use of transportation. In a smart growth area it would be easier for residents to walk to work or to go get groceries. It also makes a large difference to live in a multi-unit complex.


Smart growth is also environmentally savvy because it focuses on redeveloping rather than compromising farmland or parks.  



Smart growth can also positively affect Americans health.

In a smart growth area people are more likely to be physical active because of walkability and the advalibilty of parks.