urban sprawl

In yesterday’s Press-Gazette, there was an article about urban sprawl called “Urban growth a threat to state agribusiness”. It offers some interesting statistics about the loss of Wisconsin farmland during the last ten years. What struck me was the apparent inevitability of it all. The article was peppered with these phrases: “you can’t stop progress”, “you really couldn’t stop it, it was going to happen”, and it “can snowball in a hurry”.

I have also heard local environmental leaders comment that this problem really can’t be solved, that it is something that is just going to happen. I disagree. I think that urban sprawl and the loss of forests and farmland are very solvable problems. Some cities around the country, such as Missoula, MT, have begun to deal with it by enforcing some very strict planning and zoning laws that protect a green ring of countryside around their cities.

Chuck Lamine, Brown County’s planning director, hints at solutions when he discusses the Smart Growth plan. In the article, he talks about how we need to encourage higher-density developments in order to protect agricultural land. Unfortunately, our Smart Growth Plan is not due until 2010. After that, leaders have to decide to follow the plan and give it some teeth.

Urban sprawl needs to be dealt with now. Green Bay does need to encourage high-density community style developments as opposed to McMansions on the hill with huge lots and big boxes. We need to permanently set aside large areas of farmland that are still within our city’s boundaries on the east side. (We’re going to need it!)

-and while I’m at it: We should not build a new suburban “Taj Mahal High School”. The proposed new high school would be sure to trigger a lot of new development and draw people away from the inner city. If a new facility really is necessary, it should be built in town and should be used as part of a plan to draw people to and keep people in the city.

It takes a lot political courage for our leaders to stand up to the powerful development interests in this area and deal with this issue. They need to know that many people see this as a problem. As the article makes clear, sprawl is not progress.

eddy out,
rich