When you have suburban sprawl, you use much more fossil fuel, and you get extreme Home Owners Associations, which dictate
lawn and no food in yard. Lots of parking lots, strip malls, gas stations, and inefficient
land use make walking and bicycling unsafe. Everyone driving all the time makes lots of pollution and decreases public transportation, which takes a back seat and is infrequently used because the wait time is much too long. We have some places near where I live that were put up very quickly and cheaply. They were cheap and ugly 50 years ago and they still are. Home values actually decline in these places and crime goes up. More accidents, pollution and stress increase blood pressure and people are just generally less healthy and happy. In the Blue zones literature, they tell you that the healthiest response is just to move away from these places. Their ugliness is permanent.
John S
PDX OR
2
