GEOG 3205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Environmental Degradation
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Suburbanization+&+the+City+ + + (9/18)+
- Recap+of+Readings+
o Engels,+“Great+Towns”+
§ “Great”+=+big+
§ Describes+working+class+cities+as+dirty,+damp+and+invisible+to+higher+
classes+
§ A+big+cause+of+this+is+the+lack+of+planning+and+zoning+
+
- Streetcar+Suburbs+
o Growth+of+city+driven+by+transportation+technology+
o In+the+early+1900s,+electric+streetcars+enabled+living+further+from+the+CBD+
o More+dense+&+walkable+than+today’s+suburban+landscapes+
o Uneven+access+which+led+to+expensive+transportation+and+housing+
§ Houses+were+placed+on+narrow+lots+that+allowed+for+more+people+to+be+
located+closely+to+the+streetcars+
+
- Post-War+Suburbs+
o 1950+–+1955:+US+population+increased+by+11.6+million+&+79%+of+the+growth+was+
in+suburbs+
o Impactful+policies:+
§ FHA+mortgages+for+single-family+homes+in+suburbs+
§ Transport+budget+allocated+(entirely+for+1944+–+1961)+to+building+roads+
+
- Suburban+Sprawl+
o Pros+
§ Owning+land+
§ Living/traveling+as+desired+
§ Accumulation+of+wealth+
§ Improved+quality+of+life+
o Cons+
§ Environmental+degradation+
§ Road+congestion+
§ Rise+in+social+&+racial+segregation+
§ Decline+in+community+involvement+
+
- Annexation+&+Secession+
o Annexation:+urban+growth+expands+municipal+boundaries+such+that+cities+annex+
large+areas+of+undeveloped+land+
o Secession:+whole+communities+organize+to+leave+the+structure+of+local+
government+
o Urban+fringe+began+to+incorporate+into+separate+municipalities+(defensive+
incorporation)+
+
+