Urbanization

How do we use land?

a) Land Use
a. Industrial Uses
i. Clear cut land to place industrial plants
ii. Hazardous Waste produced
iii. Thermal Pollution water too hot
iv. Chemical waste
b. Housing and development
i. New subdivisions are cropping up due to the population growth
in areas.
ii. Land is cleared for commercial use (retail businesses and
medical facilities)
b) What is Urbanization?
a. Large town with a growing suburbs
b. Depend on resources outside the city
c. Why are big cities growing?
d. Increase in birth rates
e. Immigration poor are moving to larger cities and away from rural
areas
f. Cities have grown from 2% to 45% since 1950
g. By 2050 66% of all people in the world will live in urban areas.
h. 75% of the US population lives in urban areas occupying 3% of the
countrys land area
c) What are Heat Islands?
a. Heat Islands: The enormous amount of heat generated creates an
urban heat island
d) WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS WITH URBAN DEVELOPMENT?
a. BENEFITS
b. Better education system
c. Medical services
d. Social service
i. PROBLEMS
ii. Infectious diseases
iii. Inadequate water system
iv. Poor sewer systems
v. Exposure to pollution
e) What is Population growth?
a. Current Population Rate
b. US: over 300 million
c. World: over 7 billion
f) What is Carrying capacity?
a. Carrying Capacity maximum number of individuals the environment
can support
g) Exceeding the Carrying Capacity
a. Reindeer introduced to a small island off of Alaska in the early 1900s
exceeded the carrying capacity, with an "overshoot" followed by a

h)

i)

j)

k)

l)

"population crash" in which the population was totally decimated by

the mid1900s.
What is Smart Growth?
a. Smart growth
i. Reduces dependence on cars
ii. Controls and directs sprawl
iii. Cuts wasteful resource use
Smart Growth Works!
a. U.S. cities
i. Portland, OR
ii. San Francisco, CA
b. Curitiba, Brazil
c. Europe: compact cities
New Urbanism Is Growing
a. Cluster development
b. New urbanism, old villageism
i. Walkability
ii. Mixed-use and diversity
iii. Quality urban design
iv. Environmental sustainability
v. Smart transportation
The Ecocity Concept: Cities for
People Not Cars
a. Ecocities or green cities
i. Build and redesign for people
ii. Use renewable energy resources
iii. Recycle and purify water
iv. Use energy and matter resources efficiently
v. Prevent pollution and reduce waste
vi. Recycle, reuse and compost municipal waste
vii. Protect and support biodiversity
viii. Urban gardens; farmers markets
ix. and other tools for sustainability
Science Focus: Urban Indoor Farming
a. Rooftop greenhouses
i. Sun Works: designs energy-efficient greenhouses
b. Hydroponic gardens
c. Skyscraper farms