Urban Sprawl In Canada

Issues relating to the changing population have always been a heated debate among people willing to take advantage of the situation and those advocating to prevent the negative impacts that may result. ‘Urban sprawl’ is such an issue, defined as the ‘expanding of a population from an urban community towards rural areas surrounding the community.’ This expansion is driven by the need to accommodate a city’s growing population and also for financial gains. The issue of urban sprawl has various detrimental impacts that has affected us in environmental, economical, and even health-related ways. How does urban sprawl affect Canada as a whole in the future? First, urban sprawl impacts the environment in negative ways. Due to increasing population, …show more content…
Studies show that urban sprawl increases car usage which discourages walking and then leads to lack of exercise consequently increases risk of obesity and heart problems. The dependency on car use contributes to air pollution, which also raises incidence of respiratory illnesses. Urban sprawl also leads to an array of mental health issues such as ‘social isolation and age segregation’ especially in the young and adults, who are impacted by long commute and decrease green land space; and the elderly who needs access to social and medical services. Increased risk of accidents and deaths related to vehicular collisions from high traffic volume and deaths from heat waves due to long commute are also negative consequences of urban sprawl. These health–related issues of urban sprawl can also be addressed by the government, as previously mentioned, through creation of safe road access to encourage active transportation and promote use of electric vehicles to lessen gas emissions. Government should also fund various public events, preferably outdoor, like parades and public music concerts to help encourage social interactions and reduce isolation or segregation. If an expansion of the city is the only choice, it should be mandatory for the land and city developers to consult with the Ministry of Health and the health sectors to collaborate and find ideal solutions to balance population growth and city expansion that will not impact public health in a bad