Seeds of an anti-sprawl
movement

Urban critic David Rusk calls for a grassroots movement to heal America's cities-a movement on the scale of the civil rights movement or the environmental movement. It would involve all the constituencies harmed by the sprawling development patterns around our metropolitan areas.

A movement is needed because in places like Northeast Ohio the scale of our existing political institutions (local and county government) does not match the regional scale of our problems. Every mayor and county commissioner is looking out for his or her own turf. No one is elected to represent the region (although there might be room for a state representative or senator to speak out).

If all the constituencies hurt by sprawl could be organized, however, they would make a powerful political force. Below we offer a preliminary list of such constituencies. Then we list some of the organizations-in the city and the country-that are already working on pieces of the sprawl problem.

Linking the city and country is key, for we have to fight the sprawl battle at both ends. We have to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods so people will want to move into them. And we have to stop subsidizing the sprawling development on the metropolitan fringe, which saps the strength of the central cities.

Constituencies hurt by sprawl and
urban abandonment

  • Residents of declining inner-city neighborhoods, with all their community development organizations whose hard work is being undermined by outmigration.
  • Residents of older, inner-ring suburbs, who are also victimized by the spreading disinvestment (and who typically have fewer resources and amenities than the central city with which to stem decline).
  • Everyone who can't drive-children, senior citizens, people who can't afford a car.
  • Institutions with fixed investments in the city-churches, schools, hospitals, arts organizations, banks, utilities.
  • Environmentalists working to protect natural areas and wetlands, save energy, and prevent air pollution.
  • Transit and bicycle advocates.
  • Fair and affordable housing advocates.
  • The many ad hoc groups fighting Wal-Marts, highway interchanges and road widenings in their communities.
  • Historic preservationists.
  • Country residents who want their communities to remain rural.
  • Farmers who want to keep farming without the threat of encroaching subdivisions.
  • Business leaders who realize that their sprawling metropolitan areas will have a hard time competing with compact, efficient cities in Europe and Asia.
  • Developers who are tired of fighting anti-development NIMBYs and who would like to see a consensus on where development is appropriate.

Parts of an anti-sprawl network

  • Governments of central cities, inner-ring suburbs, exurban townshipsunited action on economic disparities and sprawl.
  • County planning commissions and metropolitan planning organizations (NOACA, AMATS)joint land use and transportation planning in the multi-county region.
  • Urban research programs at Cleveland State University and the University of Akronstudies of housing trends and outmigration impacts.
  • Other university partners (Case Western Reserve University Center for the Environment and Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Oberlin, Kent State, community colleges).
  • Cleveland neighborhood development organizationsgreater attention to the outmigration trends that undermine their work.
  • Anti-poverty programs (Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Community-Building Initiative)regional solutions for poverty.
  • Fair housing organizations (Metropolitan Strategy Group, Cuyahoga Plan, Greater Clevelanders for Fair and Affordable Housing)support for low- and moderate-income housing in every municipality.
  • Public housing authoritiesscattered site housing and rent vouchers.
  • Park districtscooperative projects to preserve open space on a regional scale.
  • Land conservation organizations (Land trusts, Trust for Public Land, Nature Conservancy)land protection in the path of development.
  • Transit agencies in the regioninvestments to make cities more livable and transit-oriented.
  • Environmental organizationssupport for transportation alternatives, compact development, sustainable communities.
  • Watershed organizations (Cuyahoga and Black River Remedial Action Plans, Grand River Partners, Friends of the Crooked River, Friends of the Black River)action to stop suburban development's destruction of streams; restoration of urban creeks.
  • Sprawl-mart foesorganization at the regional level.
  • Cleveland Museum of Natural Historybasic research on ecology of the region.
  • Religious groups (Catholic Diocese, Interchurch Council, Jewish Community Federation, WE-CAN!)moral arguments against sprawl, sister church relationships between city and suburb.
  • Schoolssister school relationships between city and suburb.
  • Environmental education (Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center, Lake Erie Nature and Science Center,
  • Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center, Great Lakes Science Museum)programs to increase awareness of the bioregion and the natural limits of life here.
  • Farmslinks between farmers on the edge of the metro area and consumers in the city.
  • Arts organizationscultural critiques of suburban sprawl, celebrations of urban life.
  • Business organizations (Greater Cleveland Growth Association, Cleveland Tomorrow, Build Up Greater Cleveland)
  • Akron Regional Infrastructure Alliance)business locations and infrastructure investments to revitalize central cities instead of promoting sprawl.
  • "Good government" groups (Citizens League)ideas for regional governance.
  • Utilities (water, sewer, electric, telephone)promotion of compact development patterns instead of facilitating sprawl.
  • Real estate industrygoal of steady appreciation of real estate values in existing urban areas instead of speculation on the suburban fringe.
  • Computer FreeNetsregional information and discussion groups in cyberspace.
  • Mediacoverage of sprawl and disparity issues in a coordinated, comprehensive way.

 

Back to top

EcoCity Cleveland
3500 Lorain Avenue, Suite 301, Cleveland OH 44113
Cuyahoga Bioregion
(216) 961-5020
www.ecocitycleveland.org
Copyright 2002-2003

Back to Corn Fields contents

 

go to home page Togel Online Situs Togel Terpercaya daftar 10 nama situs togel terpercaya situs bo togel 5 bandar togel togel178 pedetogel sabatoto togel158 pragmatic178 novaslot88 Situs Togel Terpercaya Togel178 Togel279 Toto Macau Situs Togel Bandar Togel Agen Togel Bo Togel Daftar Togel Togel279 Toto Macau Toto Togel Sabatoto Sabatoto Togel279 Togel Online Slot88 Situs Togel Prize 123 Bo Togel Terpercaya Togel Online Daftar Akun Togel Resmi Toto Macau Toto Togel Situs Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Via Pulsa Tanpa Potongan Daftar Togel Via Pulsa Tanpa Potongan Togel BBFS 10 Digit Situs Togel Bonus New Member Situs Togel Togel Pulsa Situs Togel Daftar Situs Togel Situs Togel Terpercaya Situs Judi Togel Slot Olympus Toto Togel Slot 4D Toto Slot 4D BO Togel Terpercaya Slot Mahjong Bet 200 Slot Nuke Gaming BO Togel Hadiah 2D 200rb BO Togel Hadiah 2D 100rb BO Togel 4D Daftar Akun Togel Resmi Togel Gopay Toto Togel 4D Bandar Togel Togel Deposit Linkaja Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Bri Online 24 Jam Situs Bandar Togel Situs Agen Togel Situs BO Togel Situs Togel Resmi Toto Bandar Judi Togel Daftar Bandar Togel Situs Togel Diskon Daftar Togel Toto Situs Togel Prize 123 Situs Togel Resmi WLA 5 bandar Togel Togel IDN APK Togel Togel Dana Togel Ovo Link Slot Gacor Group BO Togel Situs Judi Togel Online24jam Terpercaya Togel Bebas Invest Slot Anti Rungkat Dadu Sicbo Toto Togel Togel Bet 100 Aplikasi Togel Togel Dana Bo Togel Toto Slot togel e-wallet Togel Online 10 situs togel terpercaya daftar akun togel resmi Pasaran Togel 10 situs togel terpercaya Situs Togel Terpercaya togel online Situs Bo Togel BBFS 10 Digit Kumpulan Situs Togel Link Alternatif Togel Toto situs togel terpercaya prize 123 link alternatif togel terpercaya Situs Togel Bet 100 Perak Daftar Situs Togel Via Dana slot luar negeri Bo Togel Hadiah 2D 200rb Togel Resmi Bandar Togel 4D Aplikasi Togel Situs Togel Deposit Via Ovo Bandar Togel Terbaik situs togel bri online 24 jam Situs Togel Terpercaya Kumpulan Situs Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Bandar Togel Terbesar Situs Togel Prize 123 Situs Togel Terpercaya Daftar Agen Togel Resmi Aplikasi Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Terbesar Agen Togel Terpercaya Rekomendasi Bo Togel Terpercaya Togel Resmi WLA Situs Togel Deposit 10rb 10 Situs Togel Terpercaya Togel Bbfs Situs Togel Bet 100 Perak Situs Togel 4D situs togel 8 situs togel terpercaya 5 bandar togel slot demo mahjong aplikasi togel link togel group situs togel situs togel terpercaya judi togel bo togel hadiah 2d 100rb toto macau aplikasi togel bo togel bolak balik bandar togel daftar akun togel resmi togel dana togel pasaran toto togel situs bandar togel BO TOGEL situs togel resmi bo togel terpercaya Slot Luar Negeri bo togel hadiah 2d 200rb Bo Togel Hadiah 2d 100rb bo togel bo togel bolak balik acak dibayar bo togel resmi Dadu Sicbo Online 10 situs togel terbesar situs toto togel 10 situs togel terpercaya daftar akun togel resmi slot demo pragmatic situs judi togel terbaik dan terpercaya no 1 demo slot pg soft pedetogel togel178 togel279 togel158 sabatoto novaslot88 pragmatic178 toto macau roulette online Casino Live slot kamboja togel dana togel bbfs 10 digit togel bebas invest togel e-wallet togel pasaran togel dan slot bandar togel toto macau toto macau resmi toto togel 4d togel dana toto macau 4d Toto Slot agen togel toto togel togel dana cara membuat akun togel di hp android cara pasang togel togel diskon terbesar togel luar negeri togel prize slot nuke gaming toto macau Situs Togel Terpercaya Link Togel Terpercaya Daftar Togel Slot Olympus Slot PG Soft Bandar Togel Hadiah 4D 10 Juta Terpercaya Toto Macau Toto Togel Bandar Togel Terpercaya Toto Macau Togel 4D Situs Togel Via Dana Rekomendasi Togel Terpercaya Daftar Bandar Togel Togel Resmi Terpercaya Situs Togel Bayaran Tertinggi Kumpulan Situs Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Bet 100 Perak Rekomendasi Togel Terpercaya Situs Togel Bet 100 Perak Situs Togel Terlengkap Judi Togel Online Slot Luar Negeri Toto Macau Togel Via Pulsa Togel Online situs togel bo togel judi togel aplikasi togel bo togel hadiah 2d 100rb situs bandar togel Toto Togel 10 Situs Togel Terpercaya Togel Via Dana Toto Macau Togel Online Toto Togel