Why do people like sprawl?

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by j33

Well, I can tell you one reason why this northern urbanist is complaining. All you guys out in the southwest building those sprawling cities we don't like so much are now eying all of that water we have up here in the great lakes. Perhaps if you would have given some thought to how you lay out your cities, you wouldn't be moaning and groaning about how it isn't fair that we built our cities near water and you built yours out in the middle of the desert, and now feel like we ought to run and give you all our water. Perhaps you should have thought of that before you started building and adjusted your building practices appropriately. So yes, I'm complaining, I personally like the Great Lakes where they are, and have no desire to see them relocated to Nevada bit by bit.

you must not be talking to me because i don't live in the southwest. i live in the south. and not only was my city built on water but it's one of the busiest ports in the nation

but i agree, the general layout for sunbelt cities isn't very smart, but the truth of the matter is that for the most part, it works. there's no reason, though, for all you guys up there to act like the sunbelt is inferior.

[j33]

I was addressing southwestern urban sprawl in general, I have no idea where you live, as you have chosen not to put your location in your profile. However, the misuse of water is a huge issue even in areas that have a lot of water, there are water issues even at the edge of Chicago's ex-urbs.

[azsundevil99]

I don't think that people really "like" sprawl. I think it comes down to affordability for the most part. Believe me, if I could afford a place in downtown Chicago, Portland or New York, I'd move there in a heartbeat. But I can't so I live in the 'burbs. There's a really good book out there called "The Geography of Nowhere" by James Kunstler that discusses how sprawl has changed the landscape.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by j33

Well, I can tell you one reason why this northern urbanist is complaining. All you guys out in the southwest building those sprawling cities we don't like so much are now eying all of that water we have up here in the great lakes. Perhaps if you would have given some thought to how you lay out your cities, you wouldn't be moaning and groaning about how it isn't fair that we built our cities near water and you built yours out in the middle of the desert, and now feel like we ought to run and give you all our water. Perhaps if you would have thought of that before you started building and adjusted your building practices appropriately we wouldn't be in this situation. So yes, I'm complaining, I personally like the Great Lakes where they are, and have no desire to see them relocated to Nevada bit by bit to appease people in the middle of the desert who insist on having lawns and pools.

I can just imagine those desert dwellers saying: "Why did you Michiganders elect such a horrible state government? We'd love to live near the water but the state governments suck up there and they drive away all the businesses to the areas without water."

That having been said, I think the Great Lakes states should say, "Hands off!".

What's sad is that our federal government refuses to acknowledge the issue of population explosion and the fact that some resources, such as clean freshwater, exist in finite quantities. Our federal government ignores it and invites millions of immigrants, legal and illegal, to enter the country and cause a population explosion. I guess that can happen to a nation when the people lose any sense of rationality and self interest.