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Urban Planning Policies

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One of the policies that can help tackle the problem of urban sprawling in the US cities is

adoption of the principle of new urbanism. Adopting the policy can help to check the issue of

urban sprawling to a larger scope (Silva, 2019). When the focus switches from the suburbs

towards the center of the city, growth can occur without causing pollution and destruction to the

landscape that is associated with sprawl. New urbanism helps to minimize pollution while also

safeguarding the natural environment. The second type of policy that can help address the issue

entails land development prescriptions, such as zoning provisions, urban growth boundaries and

subdivision rules which can forbid or allow growth away from unwanted locations (Silva, 2019).

Thirdly, the challenge of sprawling in the American cities can be addressed by incentive-based

techniques, comprising of development density bonuses, special taxing zones and allocation of

development provisions from rural to urban settings in the central business district (Silva, 2019).

The fourth policy entails educational and outreach initiatives with the objective of assisting

different audiences into comprehending the adverse effects of sprawl.

The main environmental stressors that cities face include chemical pollution which

happens when one or several substances are released in a higher concentration capable of causing

psychological reactions in organism, possibly causing ecological transitions. Physical stress is

another type of environmental stressor that cities face (Hatuka, et al., 2018). Physical stress

comprise intense exposure to kinetic energy, which results in damage to ecosystems and habitats.

For instance, hurricanes and trampling by hikers and heavy machinery. A sustainable planning

approach such as Paolo Soleri’s arcology can help enhance urban life in the future by ensuring

that city planning move away from wasteful consumption and instead embrace shared

infrastructure services, thereby reducing the use of energy, waste and environmental pollution
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(Hatuka, et al., 2018). A sustainable planning approach would ensure human connectedness and

promote mixed-use development in cities.

References

Hatuka, T., Rosen-Zvi, I., Birnhack, M., Toch, E., & Zur, H. (2018). The political premises of

contemporary urban concepts: The global city, the sustainable city, the resilient city, the

creative city, and the smart city. Planning Theory & Practice, 19(2), 160-179.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2018.1455216

Silva, C. (2019). Auckland’s urban sprawl, policy ambiguities and the peri-urbanisation to

Pukekohe. Urban Science, 3(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci3010001