As an AI language model, I do not possess any personal beliefs or attitudes. However, I can provide you with some information regarding the environmental and societal impacts of urban sprawl and upward growth.
Urban Sprawl:
- Environmental impact
Increased land consumption - urban sprawl leads to the conversion of green spaces and farmland into urban areas, resulting in the loss of biodiversity and natural habitats of plants and animals.
Air pollution - increased traffic from suburban sprawl places additional loads on roadways, resulting in drop in air quality.
Energy consumption - suburban sprawl requires high energy intake, including power for transportation, heating, and cooling (due to greater distances between homes, offices, and amenities).
- Societal impact
Social division - suburbanization promotes social partition due to the spread-out structure of suburban neighborhoods, as individuals become more reliant on automobiles and people living in affluent areas usually avoid building affordable housing units near them.
Lower life quality - suburban lifestyles often lead to the loss of community and the essence of a city's social atmosphere, which can lead to feelings of monotony and isolation.
Upward Growth:
- Environmental impact
Increased density - upward growth decreases impervious surface, minimizing land use and enabling vacant spaces previously devoted to parking lots and other amenities to be reforested or afforested
Energy consumption - denser, multi-story structures are much more energy-efficient than single-story structures, reducing heating and cooling costs and usage emissions.
- Societal impact
Utilization of public transit - upward growth encourages the use of public transit and enhances mobility options for people, which can reduce traffic congestion and promote economic growth.
Increased accessibility - upward growth generates shared locations for social situations, economic opportunities, and municipal assets, which can foster community building and decrease poverty.
To summarize, while both urban sprawl and upward growth have environmental and societal impacts, upward growth emerges to have fewer environmental and societal issues, stemming from the reduction of land consumption, promotion of public transportation, and enhancement of community building.
Compare the environmental and societal impact of urban sprawl to upward growth.
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