Urban sprawl Essay -- essays research papers

This Halloween, Sean Clancy had the to the highest degree original costume in his southern Pennsylvania neighborhood. The base shape of his costume wasnt very exciting at all- a face cloth shirt, jeans and boots. However, the next layer really made Clancys costume memorable. He tucked a street sign into his belt and draped a GAP bag from his left pocket. He hung a Coke underside from his thigh and pinned a Sunoco gas rebate banner on his practiced knee. A KFC sign was just above his left knee, and Clancys pretend was a US road atlas. Even among all the goblins, ghouls, ghosts, and Lord of the go characters, Clancy was the scariest creature of them all. Urban Sprawl.Since the emergence of prefabricated housing in preplanned neighborhoods in the 1950s, the Pleasantville ethic has brought more than half of the countrys population to the suburbs. Yet date the suburban value system has improved the quality of our lives, it has tarnished the quality of our character. This foresh orten of modernization was recognized by Henry David Thoreau more than a cytosine ago, when he wrote that While society has been improving our homes, it has not improved the manpower who are to inhabit them. It has composed palaces, but it has not been so quick to create noblemen and kings. It seems that todays kings and queens lord over backyard bar-b-qs, and ride in SUV chariots. But the purpose of this speech isnt to criticize these kings and queens. What I draw back issue with is the society that keys them royalty. Herein lies the problem Our society has come to idealise a destructive vision of the American way of life unitary that puts up fresh picket fences to keep out our neighbors. Rather than valuing what the suburbs utilise to stand forcommunity and opportunitynow we first, embrace isolation, and second gage exclusion.Clancys roadmap Halloween mask may have been cleverbut it was in all probability useless. Roads connecting the suburbs to other locations spring up so fast, maps cant keep up. Many occasions of the country lack public merchant vessels that would integrate our communities rather than isolate them. According to the April 28, 2002 New York Times Magazine, In most parts of the country, people now spend more on transportation than on medical care, education, clothing and entertainment- combined. In Atlanta, the average someone wa... ... cant change the ours in the work week or even our commute we can take the m to make time to spend with our family and friends.Getting beyond isolation is only half the solution. perchance most importantly, we need to start considering the upbeat of others as integral to our take in well being. Being part of a community doesnt nasty just reaping its benefits. It means accepting that one of our responsibilities is to consider the well-being of those around us. As individuals, we need to start thinking of ourselves as part of a community, and acting knowing that what we do affects those around us. Our sprawling modus vivendi simply means thatlike it or notweve enlarged our communities and change magnitude the lives we effect with our actions. Pursue luxury and the American dream, but take monomania of its impacts. For the not-so-huddled masses of suburbia, theres still something appealing about the white picket fences, the 2.2 kids, golden retrievers and even the distinguished title of soccer mom. Granted, boastful up the SUV may disqualify us for membership in the man-sized fraternity of Those Who Haul Things, but through interconnectedness and diversity, it will make us better neighbors.