Growth of Edge Cities and the Suburbs FRQ

Define Edge City

• Cities that are located on the outskirts of larger cities and serve many of the same functions of urban areas, but in a sprawling,

• The very poorest parts of cities that are not connected to regular city services

• Residential communities, located outside of city centers, that are usually relatively homogeneous in terms of population.

Define Suburb

• Residential communities, located outside of city centers, that are usually relatively homogeneous in terms of population.

• The very poorest parts of cities that are not connected to regular city services

• Cities that are located on the outskirts of larger cities and serve many of the same functions of urban areas, but in a sprawling,

Describe TWO factors which led to the development of the galactic city as an urban landscape in North America.

• The increased wide-spread use of cars and public highways. Cars allow people to live farther away from the CBD and highways allow for easy connectivity from place to place. This causes communities to spring up farther away from the CBD and new edge cities form to support these new suburban communities.

• Increasing the amount of greenery. By adding parks and planting trees, it has been shown that to lower temperatures in hot urban areas and and the plants increase air quality by taking in carbon emissions and releasing clean air.

• Making cities more walkable. By making cities walkable with better side walks and easily accessible services, it eliminates the need for cars and lowers the carbon footprint on the environment.

• Cheaper, more available, and easier to develop areas. The suburbs offer lower and middle class residents with more land for a cheaper price where they can have nicer, larger houses.

Explain TWO ways sustainable design initiatives or smart growth policies could address negative impacts of edge city development on the environment.

• The increased wide-spread use of cars and public highways. Cars allow people to live farther away from the CBD and highways allow for easy connectivity from place to place. This causes communities to spring up farther away from the CBD and new edge cities form to support these new suburban communities.

• Increasing the amount of greenery. By adding parks and planting trees, it has been shown that to lower temperatures in hot urban areas and and the plants increase air quality by taking in carbon emissions and releasing clean air.

• Making cities more walkable. By making cities walkable with better side walks and easily accessible services, it eliminates the need for cars and lowers the carbon footprint on the environment.

• Cheaper, more available, and easier to develop areas. The suburbs offer lower and middle class residents with more land for a cheaper price where they can have nicer, larger houses.

Describe TWO ways that the spatial organization of commercial land use is different between the original CBD and an edge city.

• Land Organization- Original CBDs have a mixed land use which includes a combination of residential, commercial, and office buildings. Edge cities, however, have a specialized land use usually dedicated to office buildings and retailing with little to no residential use.

• Age of buildings- Original CBDs tend to contain older, more historic buildings. Edge cities tend to contain newer construction buildings.

• Suburban Sprawl- Suburban sprawl puts more cars out on the road in order for people to reach their jobs in the city from the suburbs. This leads to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions that add to the green house effect, contributing to global warming.

Describe ONE negative impact of edge city development on the environment.

• Land Organization- Original CBDs have a mixed land use which includes a combination of residential, commercial, and office buildings. Edge cities, however, have a specialized land use usually dedicated to office buildings and retailing with little to no residential use.

• Age of buildings- Original CBDs tend to contain older, more historic buildings. Edge cities tend to contain newer construction buildings.

• Suburban Sprawl- Suburban sprawl puts more cars out on the road in order for people to reach their jobs in the city from the suburbs. This leads to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions that add to the green house effect, contributing to global warming.