Urban sprawl is a term that simply means the growth of cities. Especially in the past 50 years, cities have grown very quickly. But, they don't grow up, they grow out, taking over land that used to be farmland and forests.
In the United States today, 8 out of 10 people live in an urban area. Here in Arlington we are part of the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The DC metro area has experienced significant urban sprawl over the past 20 years as people have moved further out into what used to be rural areas.
Although urban sprawl creates more places for people to live, there are some concerns about what will happen if houses and other developments are built too quickly. What will be the effects of cutting down so many trees? Will there be enough water and other resources to support all the new people? Will commuting from the suburbs cause too much pollution?
The photograph in the upper right corner was taken by Sarah Leen and can be found on the National Geographic website. It is of a suburban development in Loudoun County, which is in the DC metro area. Rural farmers are unhappy with this type of development so close to their farms.
Check out these websites to learn more:
1. From NASA, you can see images of how Baltimore, Maryland has grown over the last 300 years.
2. The Sierra Club is an environmental organization that encourages smart growth instead of urban sprawl.
3. National Geographic compares the American Dream of owning a home with a yard to the negative consequences of too much growth.
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