Public Health
Overdevelopment poses a major threat to public health.
The most major health concerns are the effects of air pollution. The larger urban areas get, the more factories and vehicles there are to release toxins into the air. For cities like Los Angeles, it's a huge problem, especially due to the fact that many people own their own cars, unlike New York, which is much more public transit oriented. In similar cities, like Atlanta, vehicles produce 58% of nitrogen oxides in the air and 47% of hydrocarbon emissions. Poor air quality can lead to respiratory problems, lung infections, and can trigger those with diseases like asthma; it's a serious threat to public health.
Urbanization can also impact water supply and quality. Developing onto natural land leaves less surface area for rainfall to be absorbed into, then make its way to groundwater tables, which supply water for a third of the cities in the United States. Studies show that 15% of rain water falling on a suburban area is lost as run-off. Furthermore, wide spread urban areas often lead to rundown, poorer areas in which water pipes and sanitation can be neglected, leading to poorer quality tap water.
Large, dense urban areas can also diminish disease control. The more developed an area, the more people that will be coming in and out every day, the more chances of bringing in disease and spreading it. Contagious viruses and flus often run rampant in sprawlin cities like New York
Urbanization can also impact water supply and quality. Developing onto natural land leaves less surface area for rainfall to be absorbed into, then make its way to groundwater tables, which supply water for a third of the cities in the United States. Studies show that 15% of rain water falling on a suburban area is lost as run-off. Furthermore, wide spread urban areas often lead to rundown, poorer areas in which water pipes and sanitation can be neglected, leading to poorer quality tap water.
Large, dense urban areas can also diminish disease control. The more developed an area, the more people that will be coming in and out every day, the more chances of bringing in disease and spreading it. Contagious viruses and flus often run rampant in sprawlin cities like New York
These health and safety issues are fairly obvious, but there are some that you may not have considered. In Florida, development has drastically worsened their sinkhole problem. In the past five years there has been an astounding increase in sinkhole incidents. Scientists observe that this increase positively correlates with the increase in development in Florida. In order to build on the wet grasslands and swamp areas, developers must pump gallons and gallons of water from the Earth, making the ground unstable and unsupported. Sinkholes strike without warning, and range from only a few feet in diameter to massive holes the size of football stadiums. They can completely destroy homes or other buildings and can injure or even kill people caught in the rubble.