Urban sprawl is the condition of humankind and its associated ecological foot-print of asphalt, housing and pollution stomping all over nature as humankind itself requires more and more space. Urban sprawl usually occurs in concentric rings from a city center outward. Urban sprawl drives out wildlife, fauna, vistas. Trees which function to exchange oxygen are reduced numbers greatly, adding to the air pollution already increased exponentially by the presence of bio burning humans. In all urban sprawl situations, no matter how tough regulations, human waste usually finds its way to spill into waterways, lakes, oceans, underground aquifers. Nearly half of people reading this will be part of urban sprawl and relatively helpless to change their own role in urban sprawl, due to economics.
Stopping urban sprawl and shrinking the negative ecological foot-print is entirely possible. It will take first consensus and secondly courage. Consensus that all the ailments of urban sprawl exist and must be halted. Courage to vote in the majority for the changes needed to stop urban sprawl.
We must stop building outward to stop all urban sprawl. We must become a society of people living above one and other like stacked pancakes. We can begin in the suburbs where everyone dreams of owning their own home. Spacious, private, yours to do with what you will. We take that single family home concept and stack it. No more condominiums in the suburbs in which living is squeezed side by side with others in two bedroom compact “homes.” A nice alternative to the suburbia model would be to stack the 1500 – 2200 square feet, of a nice single family home, onto one and another five or ten high. A large community backyard fulfills the need to play in the grass, to stretch one’s legs, to lay in the sun and to have some trees.
We revitalize the age of the skyscraper as housing for the masses. Spiking the skies with glass towers that gleam and dance with the sunlight. The towers of housing will compete for grandeur and perfection, for efficiency and affordability. Thousands of individuals or a thousand more families can exist in one small ecological foot-print. Home Towers they might be called, with roof top airports, basement recreation centers, underground shopping malls, cities within cities that accommodate every need. No need to drive anywhere for the Home Tower dweller, no need for even a car. The Home Tower captures wind energy with propellers lining the exterior of the top 100 floors from all sides, it captures solar energy from a large array that encircles the rooftop and top 50 floors. The Home Tower is %98 off the grid.
Consensus must be reached that the change is necessary. Petition your government for a redress of grievances with phone calls and snail mail.
Courage must be achieved among our legislators that the wishes of the wealthy few must be overcome for the sake of the planet and of the people, its stewards.
