Explain the causes and consequences of urban sprawl

New York, USA-Causes and consequences of Urban Sprawl in MEDCs

Causes:

• ·         Population increasing, so more houses must be built; from 2000-2009, the population increased by 383195
• ·         Middle class people moving out of inner city to a quieter, safer life in the outer suburbs
• ·         Worried people leaving due to fear of another terrorist attack

Consequences:

• ·         Urbanisation in rural areas, removing the character of the areas
• ·         2 million people commute into Manhattan every day, creating a lot of pollution
• ·         Staten Island grew by 24000 new housing units on Greenfield land from 1990-2000

Mumbai, India-Causes and consequences of Urban Sprawl in LEDCs

Causes:

• ·         While Dharavi is located in the centre of Mumbai, there are still squatter settlements on the outskirts
• ·         Housing in the city is poor quality and not maintained, so people move to the edge of the city for newer housing
• ·         There are problems with overcrowding, traffic, and noise pollution in the city centre, so people move away
• ·         Housing can be very expensive in the city centre

Consequences:

• ·         Informal housing (squatter settlements)
• ·         Loss of green areas, like the Sanjay Gandhi national park
• ·         Environmental issues with water pollution in the River Mithi
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