Thursday, July 13, 2006

Exurbs: the Antithesis of Energy Efficient Development



Earthwatch Radio considers a new book now being processed for the main library:
This land : the battle over sprawl and the future of America by Anthony Flint. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.

Flint describes the trend of independent subdivisions, miles from the nearest community. "They're untethered to any city, and the people who live in these areas feel no need to ever go into the big city. They stay in the subdivisions that are built way out beyond the periphery, beyond the last reach of existing suburban development, and drive to the big box stores and to office parks or stand-alone office buildings off freeway ramps." This type of development is completely car-dependent and requires an extraordinary amount of energy to develop and maintain. Flint says redevelopment of older urban neighborhoods is the best answer for a future of tight energy supplies. [read more at Earthwatch Radio]. Book cover image from Johns Hopkins Univ. Press

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