Issue of Urban Sprawl in Regina

Issue of urban sit down in ReginaRyan BoychukUrban Issue of Urban Sprawl in ReginaIntroductionUrban Sprawl continues to be the trend of city growth in Canada. In the city of Regina, urban depart is a caper that needs to be manner of speakinged among the city proposalners. Negative effects of urban conurbation include, only are non limited to, increase in public expenditure, railroad car reliance, health, environment and loving brinytenance. The purpose of this paper is to offer an empirical probe of the factors proposed as generators of urban sprawl.The Auto Eccentric CityMany ge submit as Salingaros (2006, p. 114) that, Sprawl pull throughs only beca rehearse it is an come to the foregrowth of car activities. Thus, the focus present is on how auto reliance contri providedes to sprawl in Canada. Regina, like some other Canadian cities, is a very auto eccentric city. rambling communities are a major contributor to climate change and air power pollution, in part be ca part they require so much automotive transportation, which is to a great extent dependent on energy consumption from fossil fuels, the biggest source of glasshouse gases. Since 2005 Canadian vehicles gain contributed to approximately 170Mt in C02 emissions. This identification number is collectible to the turn amount of battalion in Canada that rely on vehicles to go just about everywhere. fit in to data from the General Social Survey (GSS) on meter use, the proportion of people aged 18 and over who went everywhere by car as either a driver or a passenger rose from 68% in 1992, to 70% in 1998 and in that locationfore 74% in 2005. This rising trend in auto acculturation inadvertently causes a push for much roads, more than suburbs, successfully created more urban sprawl. As Regina continues to grow outwards and push for suburban organic evolution city plans are contributing to this ever growing traffic problem,. non only is this detrimental to the environment bu t the lifestyle itself is unsustainable. The excessive use of fossil fuels in this auto reliant culture will until nowtu in ally cause some(prenominal) irreversible problems in the time to come.The Increase of Public white plagueThe debate over the base tax proposal has revealed that Regina is a late divided city. The building industry, real estate interests, military control organizations and people living in more expensive substructures pushed the city council to impose a $ cd base tax on residential property. The base tax would confound shifted some of the burden of property taxation from those in the new suburban areas to homeowners who recognise in the older areas of Regina and have lower valued property. depleted density emergence in outlying areas requires much higher expenditures on understructure and services, and this leads to lessend happening in the older city areas. Regina is pas epoch the pattern.Inner City DeclineChristopher Leo of the University of Win nipeg has studied the problem of national city decline and how the city is affected by this growth.When a metropolitan area is divided into neighborhoods where poorness predominates and others were comfortable circumstances are the rule, it is required that there will be a concentration of friendly problems in the poor areas. And where social problems predominate, lawlessness follows. Increasing crime and growing poverty lead to the decay of some downtown neighbourhoods.The neighbourhood profiles for Regina prepared by city staff using 1996 census figures highlight the effects of local anaesthetic urban sprawl tuition. For the city as a whole, household income ave madnessd $45,000 for the profound z adept, it was only $29,000 and lower still in the Core and North fundamental areas. For the city as a whole, only 35% of homes were rented compared to 59% in the Central Zone and 71% in the Core area. Single cite families and Aboriginal people are much more likely to be found i n the Central zone neighborhoods. To present date, little has been carry through in combating this issue at hand. Gang violence has been a problem that the residents of North Central Regina have been constantly at arms with. According to a 2005 study done by the Criminal Intelligence proceeds Saskatchewan, there are approximately 500 gang members and associates operating out of Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Not only is the economic viability and safety of the community threatened, but in addition the residents are left feeling alienated. People living in these areas feel afraid to leave their houses, go to the park or even participate in community reinforcement activities. The NCCA is currently trying to buy the farm its funding to bring sand the RAGS program and hopefully reduce gang violence in Regina.Rise of The Box Store pack Howard Kunstler argues in The Geography of Nowhere that the recess store is a discrepancy of corporate colonialism, going into distant places and strip-mining them culturally and economically. Economist turkey cock Muellers studies found that 84% of Wal-Marts sales came from other businesses. For every two jobs created in a warehouse store, three are lost. They dont buy from local manufacturers or producers but larger national firms. Dairyland Foods, our prairie farmer-owned co-operative, recently sold out to Saputo Inc., a large private firm. Dairy farmers were told that if they did not get bigger and meteoric they would lose access to the national grocery retailers. The most widely-cited study of the box store phenomenon was done by Ken Stone. Ken was an economics prof at Iowa State University and he monitored the impact of Wal-Mart on Iowa between 1983 and 1993. The state lost 555 grocery stores, 298 hardware stores, 293 building suppliers, 269 clothing stores, 161 variety stores, 153 slip stores, and 116 drug stores. A total of 7,326 businesses went under.10 Its hard to see the favourableness in light of this box store epidemic. This was a shocking number for me but taking a drive down victoria you nates see this as an evident problem in regina. These stores do not only pose a threat economically but in addition culturally. Cities characters have been stripped as there unique local business have been outmatched. This in turn has created a very Dull homogenized atmosphere within Regina and cities in other areas of the world.The Effects on healthSprawl affects us in surprising ways. It cuts into our precious free prison term and contributes to expanding our waistlines. A commuter who drives just one hour each day cut downs the equivalent of nine working weeks a year in a car. searchers have found that people living in sprawling suburbs spend less time walk of life and weigh up to six pounds more than those living in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. According to Ontario College of Family Physicians, there are five main health effects due to urban sprawl. These effects of urban sprawl are as follows, Commuting and driver stress, detriment of natural environment, loss of social capital, loss of community and negative effects towards childhood development.In these spread-out communities, homes are separated from schools, workplaces, stores and services, forcing people to drive virtually everywhere. much time driving means less time with family and friends, less time for oneself, and less time to engage in community activities. 1 Research shows that urban sprawl commuters spend 3 to 4 times more hours driving than individuals living in well-planned, dense communities. 2Those extra hours that we spend driving in cities such as Regina contribute to more back inconvenience oneself, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, asthma, headaches and stress. There is likewise research stating that traffic congestion also has adverse effects on ones blood pressure, mood frustration tolerance, distemper frequency, work absences, job stability, and overall life satisfaction. Ta king all this into business relationship you can see that these additional stresses on our lives can contribute to depression, home abuse and many other damaging social problems prevalent in our society.Thousands of pedestrians and drivers die every year in North America. The anguish and horny scarring caused by the death of a loved one, permanent disabilities and related pain and suffering greatly impacts at every level of our social structure. 14% of traffic accident survivors have Post Traumatic Stress turnover 10 and 25% have psychiatric problems one year afterwards an accident. 2Road rage is one example of mental health stress related to driving that has received considerable attention in recent years. Road rage is characterized by violent disputes between drivers that erstwhile(prenominal) causes serious injuries or even death often road rage involves people who are not usually violent. The two primary causes for vulturine driving are being rushed or behind schedule, and increase congestion and traffic. Road rage also contributes to higher percentage of accidents as drivers tend to make poor decisions in a heightened mood. Walking or biking are not only healthier alternatives in terms of frame of reference and stress relief but are also generally safer in biker friendly areas. Unfortunately, there is usually little emphasis on walking and biking services in car culture.Environmental DeclineThe environment that we live in affects our health in both negative and positive ways. Animals, plants, landscapes and natural state all have a tremendous impact on military man well-being, as humans are innately attracted to other living organisms. verifying effects of the natural environment have been documented and include alter social and cognitive functioning, and decreased violence.A study done in lucre found that people who live in buildings surrounded by greenspace have a stronger sense of community, better relationships with neighbours and less heat ed domestic conflicts.1 bushel on Social aspectsResearch today is beginning to gather requisite evidence that cons of Urban communities definitely outweigh the benefits. Over the past half-century, many writers have addressed the isolating effect of slenderness suburban development. The use of vehicles does not encourage the same level of social interaction that could exist if residents met each other on the street (Katz and Bradley 1999). Suburban residents are also less likely to take on additional community responsibilities due to increased commuting times (Putnam 2000). Some writers have gone as far as suggesting that the most common interaction between neighbours in suburbia is through the blinking turn signals on their cars (Holtz Kay 1997). Simply put, low-density suburban developments do not foster the same level of social interaction as dense, walkable, neighbourhoods.2Reginas policies to Improve InfrastructureGreen heavens DevelopmentUrban sprawl and greenfield developm ent share only one common trait they both occur on the outskirts of urban areas. distant urban sprawl, where there is little or no suburban planning, greenfield development is about efficient urban planning that aims to provide practical, affordable and sustainable living spaces for growing urban populations. The planning takes future growth and development into account as well as seeks to avoid the various infrastructure issues that plague existing urban areas. Regina is currently in a process to formulate the Citys Official Community conception (OCP), which will shape the way future growth will unfold. The public audience process, Design Regina, that accompanies the new plan is such a great idea. We all need to be involved in the conversation about the future of our city. Citizens, Community Developers, Builders and Public Officials all need to be engaged in this process. In 2013 The province of Saskatchewan approved the new Official community plan, empower design Regina and re placed the Regina Development Plan on December 2013. In this Plan they recognized the need for complete communities,thats is, communities that provide all necessary recreational, social and consumer need within close proximity to residential areas.6While the change of housing that has entered the market in the past few years has helped to emend housing choice based on location and housing preference, there is still a greater need for residential development in proximity to services and amenities to create complete communities. Similarly, the development of down the stairs market and affordable units in greenfield areas creates challenges due to a lack of nearby services resulting in increased transportation costs to meet a households everyday needs. 3Design ReginaIn the formal city document for the cities future there seems to be many goals aiming towards greener, more pedestrian friendly cities. According to the document, we have have had improvement overall for affordable hous ing in Regina. They are also making strides to address the increasing homeless population.The Cold Weather Strategy is a compact program with the Ministry of Social Services and service providers to Reginas homeless population, including shelters, need service agencies, the City, and health services. The purpose is to ensure services work unitedly so no one is without a safe place to recreation on cold nights in Regina. 3There are also plans to increase housing diversity within the city to grant people more affordable housing that is still within city limits. With this plan we may see more development near inner city areas effectively breathing new life into otherwise stagnant areas. working Cited1 Kuo, F., and Sullivan, W., (2001). Environment and Crime in the Inner City Does plant Reduce Crime? Environ. Behav. 33, pp 343 367.2 SPRAWL, U. Social Mental Health Ontario College of Family Physicians. 2013. http//ocfp.on.ca/docs/committee-documents/urban-sprawlvolume-4social-and -mental-health.pdf?sfvrsn=53 Design Regina. 2011. 9 Apr. 2015 http//www.designregina.ca/4 Canadas Emissions Trends 2013. 2015. 9 Apr. 2015 https//www.ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/985F05FB-4744-4269-8C1A-D443F8A86814/1001-Canadas%20Emissions%20Trends%202013_e.pdf5 GUIDE, ACS. Understanding Sprawl David Suzuki Foundation. 2010. http//www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2003/Understanding_Sprawl.pdf6 Dont Confuse Greenfield Development with Urban Sprawl 2013. 9 Apr. 2015 http//reginahomebuilders.com/ intelligence service/view/207 Discourage Urban Sprawl David Suzuki Foundation. 2010. 9 Apr. 2015 http//www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/reduce-your-carbon-footprint/discourage-urban-sprawl/8 Causes and Effects of Urban Sprawl Conserve Energy Future. 2013. 9 Apr. 2015 http//www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-urban-sprawl.php9 Gang Culture in Regina and Saskatchewan The Carillon. 2013. 9 Apr. 2015 http//www.carillonregina.com/gang-culture-in-regina-and-saskatchewan/10 U rban sprawl development in Regina, Canada and the 2005. 9 Apr. 2015 http//www.johnwarnock.ca/sprawldevelopment.html