During our first Green Building and Planning class we learned about the characteristics of urbanization...the ugly low-density housing sprawl, isolated shopping centers with huge parking lots, office parks, and long, boring commutes. We also received an overview of some of the effects: contribution to climate change (26% of greenhouse gas emissions are from transportation); road-rage inducing traffic; smog (causing asthma and other negative health effects); less green space; loss of agricultural land and wildlife habitat; higher taxes; and a lower quality of life due to financial obligations.
While the negative effects may seem obvious to those of us in the environmental field, they must not be so obvious to the rest of the population. Why else would so many flock to the suburbs after settling into their careers? A house in the suburbs is a sign of success. It's just what people do. Oblivious to the signs of social and environmental degredation, people continue to cling to this ideal which has turned out to be not-so-ideal after all. How can we change an ideal that has become so ingrained into society?
Being different is difficult. Our grandparents/parents came to this country because they wanted a fresh start, new opportunities, a chance to succeed. And by their definition of success, I suppose they did. But it's not the perfect world our grandparents dreamed it would be. They built it without considering the long-term effects, which are now surfacing for our generation to deal with. So we have to be different. Even if it means your parents call you crazy, because it seems like you are throwing all their years of effort away.
I think we have to get excited about the future in order to change it. It's so much easier to face a daunting task with a positive attitude. And I know personally that life can be so much better on the other side. 2 years ago, my life was so different. I was living that life...driving everywhere, eating fast food from drive-throughs, never walking, working at a pointless job. Consequently, unhappy, unhealthy....and certainly not making the most of my life. I don't live in a suburb per-se, but it's definitely not the most convenient "walkable" area.
Everything changed when I decided to take take charge of my life and my health. I started to consider what was best for my body. I got rid of the car and started to walk everywhere that was within a 30 minute radius, and bus the rest of the time. I started to eat organic (when-ever possible), clean, wholesome, nutritious food. I started to think more clearly too. Somewhere along the line I realized that:
1. I really love the environment. Maybe I can do something with that for a living, instead of slaving away pointlessly in retail?
2. What's truly good for me is good for the environment too.
What would be truly good for me, society, and the environment are cities that are designed to be walkable. We all know there is an obesity "epidemic" in North America. According to the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and many other doctors worldwide, "the lack of daily physical activity is a factor in the growing rate of obesity in adults, teens, and children in Canada (2005)." It is directly related to the fact that the majority of communities are built in such a way that it is impossible to walk anywhere.
Our forefathers couldn't comprehend the situation urban sprawl has gotten us into...a house in the suburbs is not a consolation when you're unhealthy and miserable. But there is hope, there are ways to change our living environment. If we refuse to buy houses in the suburbs and demand more walkable neighborhoods, the smart business people will have no choice but to comply! 
How walkable is your neighborhood? Find out at this neat website! Get your walk score.
How walkable is your neighborhood? Find out at this neat website! Get your walk score.
References:
CBC News. Love 'em to bits: St. John's drops Tim's drive-thru objections. January 2009. Found at: http://http//www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/01/20/tim-hortons-city.html Retrieved on: Jan.22/11
Dryicons. A Family Walk in the City. March 2008. Found at: http://http//dryicons.com/free-graphics/preview/a-family-walk-in-the-city/ Retrieved on: Jan.22/11
Ontario College of Family Physicians. The Health Impacts of Urban Sprawl Information Series: Volume 3 Obesity. September 2005. Found at: http://www.ocfp.on.ca/local/files/Urban%20Sprawl/UrbanSprawl-Obesity.pdf Retrieved on: Jan. 22/11
Rhodes, Taylor. The Effects of Overpopulation on the Environment. May 2008. Found at: http://http//fubini.swarthmore.edu/~ENVS2/S2008/trhodes1/Overpopulation.htm Retrieved on: Jan.22/11
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