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Communities that do not prepare for growth are legally unprepared for it when
it happens. Many are struggling as they discover that traditional approaches
to development create, rather than solve, societal and environmental problems.
As science shows correlations between poor health and poor environmental quality,
and economics show correlations between a weak economy and poor environmental
quality, pollution prevention is seen as one of the most cost-effective ways
to help attain the sustainable communities people want. The U.S. Department
of Energy's Smart Communities Project states: "Where traditional approaches
can lead to congestion, sprawl, pollution and resource over consumption, sustainable
development offers real, lasting solutions that will strengthen our future." While enhancing quality of life is one focus of pollution prevention, costs
are a tangible way to analyze development trends. It is important for communities
to research and understand the costs of growth and impacts of their decisions.
Numbers and configurations are different in each community, but compelling economic
reasons for managing growth to prevent pollution include: Manufacturing is vital to the American economy. For manufacturing to support
sustainable development, manufacturers, suppliers, users, and disposers of products
consciously have to share responsibility for the environmental effects and waste
stream throughout a product's life cycle. In addition to a shift in tax policies
and subsidy reform, greater
use of market incentives would result in significant improvements in the
environmental performance of the manufacturing sector at a lower cost. Progress
could be measured using the following indicators: As cities, counties, states and regions go forward, it will be
important to measure the impacts of current development trends - in terms of
pollution, health, and quality of life. Quantitative measures of progress can
be a real gauge of success, can reveal less successful approaches, and are currently
the most compelling arguments for change. This list of metrics was used by Envision
Utah in a strategic planning model. Each can be measured from a baseline
number. Over time, the measurements can help determine if the project is going
in the desired direction. Plan managers use these numbers to report on the impact
of actions. If changes are necessary, the plan can be modified to reflect the
new decisions.
"Urban job centers have decentralized to the suburbs.
New housing tracts have moved even deeper into agricultural and environmentally
sensitive areas. Private auto use continues to rise. This acceleration
of sprawl has surfaced enormous social, environmental and economic costs,
which until now have been hidden, ignored, or quietly borne by society.
The burden of these costs is becoming very clear. Businesses suffer from
higher costs, a loss in worker productivity, and underutilized investments
in older communities. Agriculture and ecosystems also suffer....We can
no longer afford the luxury of sprawl."
Bank
of America Report - Beyond Sprawl
Equity
Social equity is one of the pillars of sustainability.
Its objective, is clean, sustainable communities for all, rather than concentrate
pollution in some areas and livability in others.
Demographics
Groups of all ages make clear that sprawl limits
people who do not drive; there should be choices for those who want to be
mobile without cars. Surveys show people prefer to walk to work, school,
and shopping. Communities are trying to economically design "pedestrian
friendly" solutions.
Environmental & Human Health
The Center for Disease Control, EPA, and Department
of Health and Human Services have documented effects of pollution on human
health and their associated costs. The
health costs of pollution from cars and trucks alone have been estimated
at between $40 billion and $64 billion a year.
Agricultural Land & Open Space Loss
Agricultural land and open spaces are being
lost, along with pristine views, animal habitat, and the ability of the
land to supply clean air and water. Erosion contributes to decreases in
soil and water quality. The total on
and off-site costs of damages by wind and water erosion and the cost
of erosion prevention each year is nearly $45 billion.
Aquifer, Riparian, and Coastal Waters
Protection
As open land is paved, rainwater is piped directly into streams, making
it unavailable to replenish aquifers. Research shows how sprawl
aggravates drought and reduces water quality. 44% of our nation's
coastal waters are rated impaired
for human or aquatic life use.
Economic Incentives for Business
Pollution prevention measures, such as those
implemented at a Dow
Chemical Plant in La Porte, Texas, and a Monsanto plant in Pensacola, Florida,
show substantial profits and significant environmental improvements can
be achieved by creatively addressing environmental issues. Livable communities
attract clean businesses and the skilled workers those businesses need.
Recreation & Tourism
Recreation
and tourism support many local economies.Water flows of major rivers,
for example, can be allowed to seasonally adjust naturally. This benefits
wildlife, fisheries, and related tourism. With planning, this can be done
without negatively impacting agricultural and other industries dependent
upon water.
Manufacturing
Measuring Progress
Case in Point: One of the reasons that LUTRAQ,
the Portland area Land Use, Transportation and Air Quality plan, is so compelling
is that it has quantified its expected results. LUTRAQ projects a 10% reduction
in vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) per capita as a result of the policies
adopted in Portland. Further, time spent in traffic congestion would be
reduced by 53% and CO2 emissions by 6.4%. Rather than vague promises, these
measurements compared favorably with an alternative plan to expand a freeway.
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The Topic Hub™ is a product of the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx) The Community Growth Topic Hub™ was developed by:
Hub Last Updated: 1/25/2013 |
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P2RIC is a member of the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange, a national network of regional information centers: NEWMOA (northeast), ESRC (southeast), GLRPPR (Great Lakes), ZeroWasteNet (southwest), P2RIC (plains), Peaks to Prairies (mountain), WSPPN (Pacific southwest), PPRC (northwest). |
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The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) operates the Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center. |
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