Urban Sprawl

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Urban Sprawl I. Each morning, millions of Americans start their engines and grind their way to work. They leave quiet settings for the hustle and bustle of the cities. When evening approaches, these same people make their way home. Home, however, is no longer just across town. Many of these people will commute miles and miles to their *country= homes. II. They are not alone in their commute though - the entire rest of the subdivision is doing the exact same thing, day in and day out. They endure the traffic, lost time, and general inconvenience to be surrounded by farmland and open space and a hundred or so homes exactly identical to theirs. (Transition)Today I am going to discuss urban sprawl, its history, causes and effects. First lets discuss the history. III. Urban sprawl has always been a problem in a sense; however not until the automobile was sprawl a serious issue. With the arrival of the automobile, people could live farther a way from work and not have to live in the city. Up until then mostly farmers and ranchers lived outside the city. So the issue became a bigger issue with faster and better cars. Many people were now able to live the American Dream, rural life. A house of their own, out of town enough to be quiet, but never too far from civilization. a. But then something happens, the *open space= that they fell in love with is slowly devoured by housing, shopping malls, and believe it or not other people. b. The rolling fields that once marked their freedom are now browning and dotted with homes. This makes the *original= homeowner unhappy. They write editorials asking questions and demanding answers. Both silently and aloud they fume: how dare the farmer sell out his heritage, the lan... ... middle of paper ... ...n Urban sprawl is an issue that affects every single American, from the taxes we pay to where we live. As the world population expands, the demand for housing increases. Because of institutions such as the Federal Housing Administration, Americans are finding it easier every day to buy their own homes. We collectively have more money to spend, and wish it on the living conditions we truly desire. However, these aspects are offset by the fact that we decrease our food supply and degrade our earth with every foundation poured, nail pounded, and real estate deal closed. We cannot know what our actions today will do to our lives tomorrow. Only time will give us a definitive answer. Still, one must ask the question: will we be tearing down houses for land to grow food on someday?

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