[oclug] RE: OT: sprawl

[bbarnett at L8R.net]

On 02-Aug-2001 Tom A. Trottier wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 01, 2001 at 11:48, Brad Barnett
> <oclug at lists.oclug.on.ca>
> wrote on "Re: [oclug] Parking for Aug Meeting," saying..
> ...
>> > Urban sprawl in Atlanta has been known to have great affects on the
>> > area. For instance, the temperature has been known to rise 10
>> > degrees in the city versus the surrounding area. Have a look for
>> > 'Atlanta urban heat island' in your favorite search engine. Most of
>> > the links in google make for some interesting reading.
>> > 
>> > We are pretty forunate in Ottawa that the city planners did a decent
>> > job of leaving a green belt and trying to maintain some of the green
>> > areas in the downtown core so we are not as affected by the urban
>> > heat island affect.
>> 
>> Erm, its because Atlanta has no urban sprawl, that they have the said
>> "heat island" effect.  They are basically one big massive island of
>> black and concrete, without any breaks or and vegetation in between.
>> 
>> On the other hand, Ottawa already has urban sprawl.  There are
>> greenbelts, and a mass of parks that break up the city into smaller
>> islands of concrete.  It helps.  I hope this is maintained, and that
>> the greenbelt isn't destroyed to slow the sprawl that is happening
>> (yes, this was actually suggested!).  
>> 
>> If you want to keep your city green, you *need* to have urban sprawl.
> ...
> I'd suggest that having green space is rural sprawl.
> Having just tar & concrete is urban sprawl.
> I prefer rural sprawl.
> 
> Tom

There is no such thing as rural sprawl :P.  

Urban sprawl is used to refer to a city that is spreading outwards without
using all the available space.  This space can be higher buildings, or vacant
land that is not being used to house people or a business of some sort.  The
greenbelt is an example of something that tends to contribute to urban sprawl,
along with limits on the height of buildings (something we have in Ottawa). 
People are forced to live further and further away from the core of the city,
yet still work in it, or near it.  

Personally, I don't see it as a problem yet for Ottawa, and I doubt the growth
figures will materialize.  They were mostly based on the high tech boom, which
is now bust.  It may come back, but there still has been about a year (and
probably another) of low or not growth.

Anyhow, there are no cities on the planet that have 10s of thousands of acres
of just concrete with nothing on them (no, parking lots don't count, they are
put to use, and therefore aren't in the "sprawl" category.).   

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