Blog #8

I live in a brand new subdivision. Before that, I lived in a brand new subdivision. Before that I lived in a 1970’s ranch house that probably at one time was part of a brand new suburb. “Sprawl- technically defined as ‘low density, automobile-dependent development beyond the edge of service and employment areas’ -is ubiquitous and its effects are impacting the quality of life in every region of america, in our largest cities and small towns” (1998 Sprawl Report). The report I quoted from goes on to list rapidly sprawling cities and the problems they are having. While I can’t give scientific data about the places I lived, I can see how people moving further and further away from the city would cause issues, both from increased use of cars and the detriment to the landscape. The house we moved into when I was five, it was in a new suburb, backed up against more 70’s style ranch houses. I remember then it only took us forty five minutes to get to downtown Chicago. While this may seem like a huge number to someone who lives in a city, to me, because I grew up with it, seemed like a normal amount of time to get anywhere. When we moved for the third time, again into a new subdivision, It took an hour and a half to get downtown. And there were other problems too. There were actually protestors from the town holding signs where the suburb was being erected. Before the construction began and the people came, there was (apparently) a beautiful field where the town used to hold fairs but the township sold it to developers. This tidy sum bought a new police station, but at what cost? And did they really need a million dollar police station for a town of only a couple thousand? I realize that by living in the neighborhood, I am part of the problem, but if it were up to me I would always live in a city. Driving hours in each and every direction is a hassle for everyone and its not good for our environment or our landscape.