Urban Development Problems Contribution - Essay Example

Hence, the need for housing effectively creates an urban sprawl since the urban areas start spreading out and overrunning the underdeveloped areas and the rural communities. There is a realization that the pattern characterized by urban sprawl is not sustainable for the future needs of the nation. In effect, the current patterns in development are moving towards ensuring that the consequences of urban sprawl do not affect the populace. One such current pattern of development is urban growth boundaries.

In this case, the urban growth boundary is an official line separating the urban areas from its surrounding open greenbelt lands (“Urban Sprawl”, personal communication, n.d.). These lands include the parks, farms, and watersheds. In effect, such a boundary is beneficial to the natural environment and maintains the flora and fauna without interfering with it. In addition, the protection of farmlands ensures that the residents generally benefit from sustaining production. Another current development pattern meant to reduce the effects of urban sprawl is new urbanism.

This concept’s core principals are enhancing walkability, de-emphasizing the car, and creating some sort of a mix of services within a neighborhood (“New Urbanism”, personal communication, n.d.). In this case, bringing services to a walking distance within a residential area ensures that every individual resident benefits from the independence of movement. In addition, a reduction in the number and length of automobile trips minimizes traffic congestion, road maintenance expenses, and most importantly less pollution.

Thus, the residents will benefit from the clean environment while there is channeling of public funds, saved from road maintenance, to other important areas of development. In addition, creating a mix of buildings enhances and facilitates the evolution of society by enhancing a homogenous tightly knit community. Briefly, the problems associated with urban development are responsible for urban sprawl to a larger extent. On the other hand, the current patterns of development, meant to curtail the catastrophic results of urban sprawl, are beneficial.

Such development patterns like the urban growth boundary separate urban places from farmlands essential for farming and other people’s livelihood. In addition, the concept of new urbanism ensures less pollution and effectively a clean environment beneficial to humanity.