Cause and Effect - Suburban Sprawl

[LindseyLohan]

I looking for some help...

I'm doing a cause and effect paper for an English class. The paper has to be related to something happening in our area. I think I am going to do Sprawl as the cause and now I will need the effects. Maybe I should do the cause as ??? and Sprawl as the effect. Not sure.

Anyways, you are all pretty well informed on this subject, so I am asking for your help. Does anyone have any links to articles, know of any books, statistics, etc? I need to cite my work of course, so I will need reliable information. Any leads are greatly appreciated as well as opinions...

I know I read something about KC's gas consumption per capita on another thread somewhere, information like that with the source is great!!!

Thanks in advance for your help, and I will be browsing the forum for previous related threads...

[bbqboy]

Why not do the Sprint Center as cause and the increased prescence of humans in the surrounding area as the effect? Lots of recent info

[Maitre D]

Crime = Sprawl.  That's all you (or anyone) needs to know.


In major cities where you see concentrations of the pouplation (SF, NY, CHI), crime isn't a big fear people have.  In high crime cities, you can forget ever seeing a bustling DT core.

[staubio]

Crime = Sprawl.  That's all you (or anyone) needs to know.


In major cities where you see concentrations of the pouplation (SF, NY, CHI), crime isn't a big fear people have.  In high crime cities, you can forget ever seeing a bustling DT core.

No, I think you missed the point. Sprawl is the cause in this analysis, so effect is increased gas consumption, obesity, diminished air quality, increased run-off pollution, increased consumption, etc.

[bahua]

Reduced community involvement, more insular autocentric development, smog, traffic brought on by arterial development style.

And more!

[LindseyLohan]

Sprint Center is a good idea and an easy out, but I want to do something a little less popular and more informative. I want to bring a subject to light that isn't already covered multiple times a week by the media.

Staubio is right on...If Sprawl is the cause, the effect would be increased gas consumption, less adequate public transportation, pollution, traffic, neglected infrastructure, maintenance costs, etc.

Now I need supporting evidence, articles, facts, links. This forum is a wealth of information but I need something I can cite. I know you guys have plenty of good websites and sources you use!

[LindseyLohan]

Crime = Sprawl.  That's all you (or anyone) needs to know.


In major cities where you see concentrations of the pouplation (SF, NY, CHI), crime isn't a big fear people have.  In high crime cities, you can forget ever seeing a bustling DT core.

Do you mean sprawl leads to crime or crime leads to sprawl?

[PumpkinStalker]

Do you mean sprawl leads to crime or crime leads to sprawl?

It's definitely too much of a generalization in and of itself for the reason of sprawl.  Tell me where I can live where there is no crime.  Criminals have cars too, and roads are not known for good barriers to crime.  You're not safe anywhere, my dad was held up at gunpoint by two black males 3 years ago at the carwash next to their house in Lee's Summit.  Within 30 minutes he had called VISA and they had used his credit card at a gas station on Prospect right off of I-70.  Crime leads to sprawl sure, but you're not going to get away from it.

[DaveKCMO]

did you mean sprawl is actually a crime?

[PumpkinStalker]

did you mean sprawl is actually a crime?

Ha, well maybe it is!  If people are too much of pansies to fight back and take back their streets and snub the crime, then maybe it should be a crime!

[heatherkay]

Here are some resources if you're looking for some references to cite regarding the effects of sprawl (and the counter effects of more compact city development)

Smart Growth America
Economic Elements of Smart Growth (http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/economy.html)
2004 National Poll by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America (http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/narsgareport.html)
Getting to Smart Growth:  100 Policies for Implementation (http://www.smartgrowth.org/pdf/gettosg.pdf)

Smart Growth Leadership Institute
Smart Growth is Smart Business
(http://www.sgli.org/downloads/others/smartbusiness.pdf)

Urban Land Institute (http://www.uli.org)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
About Smart Growth
(http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/about_sg.htm)
Why Smart Growth:  A Primer
(http://www.epa.gov/dced/pdf/WhySmartGrowth_bk.pdf)

[bbqboy]

Sprint Center is a good idea and an easy out, but I want to do something a little less popular and more informative. I want to bring a subject to light that isn't already covered multiple times a week by the media.

Staubio is right on...If Sprawl is the cause, the effect would be increased gas consumption, less adequate public transportation, pollution, traffic, neglected infrastructure, maintenance costs, etc.

Now I need supporting evidence, articles, facts, links. This forum is a wealth of information but I need something I can cite. I know you guys have plenty of good websites and sources you use!

Well, is the instructor a surbananite? You are stating that "sprawl" is a fact, and a negative one at that, but is that really true?
Is there a dictionary definition of when Urban becomes Sprawl, or when rural becomes exurban, then suburban? And what of those who embrace the positive aspects of the post war car oriented world?

[dangerboy]

Do schools no longer teach teh kids how do conduct academic research?  Do they just turn them loose on the Internet instead of showing them how to use scholarly journals?

[bbqboy]

Do schools no longer teach teh kids how do conduct academic research?  Do they just turn them loose on the Internet instead of showing them how to use scholarly journals?

Hey, we don't need no steeenkin' acedemic journals.
Lindsey can pick our brains, and she/he's funnier than our other students that have cribbed ideas from the forum

[dangerboy]

Crowd-sourced education...  let the network do your work for you.

[bbqboy]

Crowd-sourced education...  let the network do your work for you.

If we could get college credit for hangin' here, we'd all be Doctors by now.

[ShowMeKC]

also:

http://www.planetizen.com

[Steve52]

Don't worry the Dems are going to be busy "reshaping the environment". We'll be able to increase our TV watching from the current average of 35 hours a week to 45 and the increased availability of cheap 700 calorie cheeseburgers only a 10-minute walk away will create a new economic boom.

[LindseyLohan]

Here are some resources if you're looking for some references to cite regarding the effects of sprawl (and the counter effects of more compact city development)

Smart Growth America
Economic Elements of Smart Growth (http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/economy.html)
2004 National Poll by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America (http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/narsgareport.html)
Getting to Smart Growth:  100 Policies for Implementation (http://www.smartgrowth.org/pdf/gettosg.pdf)

Smart Growth Leadership Institute
Smart Growth is Smart Business
(http://www.sgli.org/downloads/others/smartbusiness.pdf)

Urban Land Institute (http://www.uli.org)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
About Smart Growth
(http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/about_sg.htm)
Why Smart Growth:  A Primer
(http://www.epa.gov/dced/pdf/WhySmartGrowth_bk.pdf)

Thanks HeatherKay!!!

Do schools no longer teach teh kids how do conduct academic research?  Do they just turn them loose on the Internet instead of showing them how to use scholarly journals?

I taught myself how to take advantage of available resources.

I've seen this topic discussed here, I think it is interesting, it fits the criteria of my paper, why not? What the hell is a scholarly journal? Is that one of those things that would require a trip to the library? I would have to walk around and look through outdated stacks of crappy books? The good stuff is on the internet. I try to work smarter, not harder.

[heatherkay]

The good stuff is on the internet. I try to work smarter, not harder.

You can also find some extremely stupid and crazy stuff on the internet.  Never underestimate the value of peer review.