–From the Vault– Environment, October 2007 and November 2007. A two part column on suburbia:
Part 1: Unsustainable Suburbia. “One-half of the U.S. population lives in suburbia, and the proportion is growing—by comparison, 30 percent live in cities, and 20 percent live in rural areas. Meanwhile, suburban land use, development, transportation, and consumption patterns foster a host of environmental ills. For example, the presence of impervious surfaces, such as concrete or asphalt, coupled with pollutants from lawns and automobiles, can change the composition….” (more)
Part 2: Seeking Solutions for Suburbia. “As suburban population grows, so does a complex constellation of environmental ills—and as last month’s column showed, many of these ills revolve around car travel. As a result, the most familiar efforts to solve them strive to make commutes and other drives less harmful to the environment. Public transportation is an obvious choice, but coverage and convenience leave much to be desired in many metro areas. A look at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website….” (more)
