Why Massachusetts is Not Ahead in Sustainability - Essay Example

Hamad, Aldarmaki PUP 301 February 8th, Assignment Reflective Article Essay Why Massachusetts is Not Ahead in Sustainability By controlling theuse of land and design of the urban areas, urban planners have helped in the attainment of sustainable land use in many towns, cities and states. To achieve this, urban planners give attention to various aspects important to urban areas such as transportation, safety and security, suburbanization, slums, environmental factors, light and sound, reconstruction and renewal, economics as well as aesthetics. This requires learning from the past and using the knowledge to react to the present and the expected future challenges. This implies that the product of good urban planning is sustainability and this should be characterized by the creation of communities that are more equitable, enriching, convenient, efficient, attractive and healthy both for the present and future generations. Smart Growth in Massachusetts Some of the factors that guide smart growth urban planning include the need for sustainable development, aesthetics, safety and security, proper housing, decay, transportation, economics, environment, light and sound, and reconstruction and renewal. Smart growth urban planning should basically involve planning for sustainable development. An analysis of the Massachusetts’ smart growth program shows a fair achievement of this noble goal. The $1 million given out as grants for smart growth by the Office of Commonwealth were instrumental in ensuring that zoning and planning in the state were consistent with sustainable development. However, the planning and zoning legislation is not moving at the same pace because of environmental legislation that has led to complexities. Anthony Flint’s article “Growth” on Massachusetts’ smart growth sends a clear message that the outdated planning and zoning statutes of the Commonwealth do not encourage sustainable development, protection of natural resources and affordable housing. The adoption of Smart Growth therefore becomes an important solution to this. Smart growth has seen the improvement of Massachusetts considering that the there has been a lot of focus in avoiding sprawl. Smart growth upholds long-term regional considerations in terms sustainability as opposed to achieving short term goals (Bullard 35). Smart growth also aims at expanding the range of housing alternatives, employment and transportation. Yet another focus of smart growth is the preservation and enhancement of cultural and natural resources without neglecting public health. The effects of smart growth planning in Massachusetts are evident in the changes that have taken place in the state which has resulted in more sustainable land use than before. In respect of providing a range of housing alternatives for example, a 42-acre residential complex has been constructed in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood in the site of a former state hospital. With this, the city is able to accommodate more people under modern housing without causing environmental degradation. Such large complexes have not only enabled the cities of Massachusetts to accommodate more people but also discourage the growth of the slums. The redevelopment of old second-tier industrial towns like Lowell and North Adams is important for easing congestion into the nearby first-tier cities. This included the replacement of old mill buildings with commercial and residential buildings. As expected, good urban planning should be able to increase the choice of housing and make housing more affordable. From the article, it is evident that smart growth has enabled Massachusetts to offer enhanced housing choices and availability. A significant number of the state’s towns and cities have responded to the issue of housing by developing and implementing plans addressing housing. This has been made possible through a real estate investment fund, the Urban Strategy American Fund, which not only seeks to promote economic progression but also environmental sustainability. However, evidence of high housing prices in some places like Boston is an indication that smart growth aims have not been adequately achieved in all areas of Massachusetts. Smart growth urban planning is not all about creating an environment that is good for economic activities, but also for leisure. Some of the ways of achieving this is by leaving open spaces alone and preserving historic places. This will ensure that people have places to spend their free time in a healthy way through outdoor exposure by exploring nature or visiting historic places. Massachusetts has achieved more of these things under smart growth. A considerable level of open space protection has been achieved and some of them have been turned into public urban parks. There are also a number of outdoor recreation, and habitat reserves and historic preservation projects in place at the moment (Flint 22). It is important to develop a broader approach to sustainability and the plan to integrate broader issues such as public health and water resource management into the smart growth program is very brilliant. Such an approach to development is vital because the protection of water resources is fundamental for the protection of human health. This means that efforts of protecting human health will lead to the protection of water resources, which in turn discourages unsustainable land use. So far, there is a considerable protection of water resources in Massachusetts. Flint has made strong points about the drawbacks to smart growth in Massachusetts which makes the state suffer a loss in sustainability despite its rich history. Evidently, a slow economy is pulling behind the efforts of the officials of the state of Massachusetts to attain the Smart Growth agenda. The economic slowdown has caused the state to be lenient in its policies. The state’s officials like those of Boston city are finding it hard to turn away developers who want to operate against the smart growth policies such as companies seeking to establish in the industrial park off Interstate 495 instead of locating in Lowell or Brockton (Flint 24). Flint acknowledges that the achievement of smart growth requires the dedication and commitment of all communities and relevant officials to the common goal of sustainability. In his analysis of the history and progression of the Massachusetts’ Smart Growth program, Flint clearly exposes the lack of unity and common focus among the state’s towns, cities and officials. The observation that the development of regional framework is important for the management of disparate projects is very logical according to Bullard (46). The relevance of the above idea is supported by the presence of projects that have regional impacts. This means that there is no way that adjacent cities or towns can achieve smart growth by ignoring each other. It also implies that there should be strong collaboration and coordination among all the state planning agencies. It is beyond doubt that the independence among Massachusetts’ cities and towns has been a strong driving factor against the attainment of commendable regional planning. The Smart Growth agenda has stimulated development and improved environmental sustainability in Massachusetts. However, Smart Growth in Massachusetts is experiencing many drawbacks, which have hindered the attainment of the expected levels of sustainability and development. Generally, there is no collaboration, unity and harmony in the levels of commitment and dedication to smart growth policies among relevant authorities. There is therefore a need to lobby for more collaboration among the relevant officials and planning agencies to ensure a better attainment of smart growth goals. There is also a need to update the planning and urban legislation to ensure it supports the environmental legislation that is already supportive to smart growth. Works Cited Bullard, Robert. Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities, Environmental Justice, and Regional Equity. MIT Press. 2007. Flint A. “Growth”. The Magazine of the American Planning Association. American Planning Association. 2011. Print. Read More