Urban & Regional Policy Planning

what percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas?

83%

sprawl increases traffic and energy use, which contribute to issues like:

water pollution, air pollution, and flooding

what did the U.S. use for transport before cars were widely popular?

streetcars/”interurbans,” which carried millions of passengers a year and went between soooo many places

why were streetcars phased out (less egrigious reason)

seen as contributing to congestion & hindering growth of cars

what happened with National City Lines?

between 1938-1950, this big conglomerate of General Motors, Firestone, Standard Oil, etc. bought up transit systems so they could demolish them, requiring people to get diesel buses and cars and HAVE to buy oil; got sued and fined for monopoly conspiracy

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956

Eisenhower after seeing efficiency in Germany, eliminate unsafe roads and inefficient routes by building MANY miles of highway

the Federal Aid Highway Act displaced more than _______ households and _______ people

475,000, 1 million

Robert Moses

New York City’s construction coordinator who sought to “eradicate slums” by putting highways through them, leading to structural racism

structural racism

neighborhood racial composition can be a stronger predictor of urban socio-ecological patterns than wealth

segregation & redlining

cities were graded from most to least desirable, influencing their ability to get loans, do renovations, etc.; race used as a factor for grade determination!!

how do we still see impacts of redlining today?

communities that once had the lowest grades now experience worst heat island effect, have fewest trees, etc.; those with highest grades have most trees, biggest homes, etc.

methods of improving transportation and sprawl

bikes, parking, zoning, smart growth

zoning history

1916: NYC adopted first zoning regulations; 1926: constitutionality of zoning upheld

smart growth

more proactive and comprehensive approaches, like mix-land use, compact design, range of housing options, walkable neighborhoods, agricultural zoning, bike paths, open spaces, etc.