Case Study: An urban area – Atlanta, USA
Growth creates problems Population growth – Atlanta is the largest metropolitan area in south-east USA. With 5.1 million people in 2006 (up from 1.4 million in 1970) urban sprawl was inevitable. Traffic congestion – plus air and noise pollution is the fourth worst in the USA. There are 50 000 km of roads in Atlanta. 90% of residents drive to work experiencing 68 hours of delays per year. Air quality – traffic congestion causes increases in respiratory illnesses such as emphysema, bronchitis and asthma. Air stagnates here so fumes from vehicles are rarely blown away. Water quality and quantity – suburbs along the Chattahoochee river increase run-off and contaminate drinking water with pollutants. Sanitation systems cannot cope. Over 1 million Atlantans use septic tanks, which often leak. Increased water demand for industry and irrigation uses up supplies, affecting fishing habitats.
Forsyth
Cherokee
N
Gwinnett
Cobb
Norcross
Marietta
Impermeable surfaces – more concrete and asphalt replacing soil and trees means surface water cannot drain away, causing flash floods and water contamination.
Dekalb
Fulton
Conyers
Douglas
Rockdale
Cultural loss – civil war battlefields surrounding Atlanta, such as the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield to the north, are under threat from suburban homes.
Clayton Henry Coweta
Fayette
0
16 km
Urbanised areas Agricultural land – expansion has meant that farmland has been bought and covered with shopping malls and other developments.
Loss of green space/ecosystems – between 1982 and 2002 over 38% of green space within Atlanta’s city boundary was built on. The city loses an average of 125 hectares of trees per day by deforestation. Ecosystems suffer as wildlife dies or migrates away.
Edge of Atlanta metropolitan area 1973 Edge of Atlanta metropolitan area 2012
Socio-economic division – most sprawl is to the north where white middle-class suburbs have developed. The inner city has had less investment; this is where the poorer black population has stayed. Hotlanta – the removal of trees such as maple, oak and elm and the addition of concrete encourages more heat build-up and a ‘heat island’ over the city. Temperatures can be up to 10° C higher than in the countryside.
There are no large bodies of water, mountains or other obstacles to limit the city’s outward growth. Atlanta’s urban area has more than doubled since 1973.
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The Atlanta skyline TASK 1: Study Source a Describe how Atlanta has grown between 1950 and 2010. b Explain why Atlanta has grown rapidly. TASK 2: Study Source a Describe how Atlanta has expanded between 1973 and 2012. b Describe two problems that affect people and two problems affecting the natural environment. TASK 3: Study Source a List three ways in which the BeltLine will help to solve urban problems in Atlanta. b In which part of the city are these ideas taking place? Why? c What other plans do you think are needed? What should be the priorities for Atlanta? TASK 4: Study Source a Describe the features of Atlanta that can be seen in the photograph. b Which part of the city do you think this is? Explain your answers.