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Seven deadly sins of urban sprawl So what’s so bad about urban sprawl anyway? Plenty. 1. More traffic: Residents of sprawling cities have to rely on cars to get around because their municipalities don’t have a sufficient concentration of individuals to support efficient public transit. Instead, new roads and freeways have to be built, which soon fill up with more traffic as communities continue to sprawl outwards. 2. Climate change: About 26% of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change come from transportation. Automobile exhaust contains heat-trapping gases that build up in the atmosphere and cause global warming. Unless we reduce these emissions, we can expect more extreme weather events like droughts, floods and storms. The prestigious journal Science calls global warming “a truly global issue, one that may prove to be humanity’s greatest challenge.”
5. Less greenspace: Urban sprawl is cutting into precious farm and wildlands. Canada’s most productive farmland is within 100 kilometres of the U.S. border, yet this where urban sprawl is at its worst. In addition, precious wildlands, like bogs, are being drained and paved over, putting valuable wildlife habitat and species at risk. 6. Higher taxes: Local governments are finding it difficult to cover the costs of building new roads, water, sewage systems and extending urban transit lines through low-density neighborhoods. These hidden costs of sprawl have to be paid and Canadian taxpayers will be asked to foot the bill. 7. Lower quality of life: Longer distances between home and work mean drivers have less time for leisure activities and greater financial obligations. The average cost of owning and operating a vehicle is nearly $6,000 per year –a significant financial burden for families requiring two cars. People living in suburban areas without a car, or access to reliable urban transit, may also become very isolated.
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3. More smog: More traffic leads to air pollution and smog. Smog is not pleasant to look at or breathe and it also creates problems for those with respiratory diseases, like asthma. (That’s why public health authorities ask everyone to reduce their outdoor activities during smog alert days.) The Ontario Medical Association estimates that smog-related illnesses cost the province at least $1 billion a year.
