i need help
1
Balancing Growth and Sustainability: A Rogerian Approach to Urban Expansion
Student Name
Name of School or Institution
Professor Name
Course Code
Dated
2
Balancing Growth and Sustainability: A Rogerian Approach to Urban Expansion
Introduction
Urbanization remains a central concept because cities worldwide continue to experience
population increase (Streule, Karaman, Sawyer, & Schmid, 2020). Supporters of urbanization
note that it fosters economic growth and improvement in people’s quality of life, while critics
warn of the adverse effects of urbanization on the environment and sustainability. Both
perspectives are crucial, i.e., emerging economic development, social welfare, and environmental
conservation are fundamental pillars of a healthy society. Using green infrastructure and
sustainable urban planning practices provides a viable solution for reconciling
development with ecological conservation.
Description of the Problem (Context of Events)
Topic Sentence
“Urban expansion, historically associated with economic growth and improved living
standards, now faces increasing scrutiny due to its significant environmental impacts,
highlighting the need for a balanced approach to development that addresses both economic and
ecological concerns.”
Description
Urbanization is the process of developing urban features by constructing and developing
new buildings, the latest structures, new residential areas, and other infrastructures (Chen, Ye,
Lu, Sui, & Guo, 2019). In the past, resource urbanization has been associated with the
development of the economy and enhanced living standards in towns. However, the current
3
expansion rate has provoked arguments about its effects on the environment, such as the
destruction of ecosystems, enhanced pollution, and effects on climate change.
Side A: Economic Benefits of Urban Expansion
Topic Sentence
“Urban expansion is essential for economic development and improving living
standards.”
Description
1. Economic Growth: Urbanization leads to employment opportunities, economic
growth, and resource mobilization. When cities expand, there are more chances
for companies and people to find jobs, hence boosting economic development.
2. Infrastructure Improvement: New developments mean improved infrastructure,
such as transport, utilities, and other services; greater density means better usage
and more efficient services. This improvement will be very constructive because
it allows all residents to gain better access to efficient amenities.
3. Housing Availability: New jobs and a growing population also improve quality,
availability, and affordability (Galster & Lee, 2021). In the same way, urban
expansion enlarges the number of housing units and allows more people to secure
decent and relatively cheap accommodation.
Side B: Environmental Concerns of Urban Expansion
Topic Sentence
“Urban expansion has detrimental effects on the environment, threatening sustainability.”
4
Description
1. Environmental Degradation: Growth also results in the degradation of natural
ecosystems and species loss. As the urban areas expand, the expansions impact
the natural resources such as the forests, wetlands and other ecosystems by
destroying the natural habitats of animals (Li, et al., 2022).
2. Increased Pollution: Urbanization increases air and water pollution levels
because of increased development. Societal activities such as constructing new
structures and increased traffic act causatively to pollutants and degrade the
environment.
3. Climate Change: Urbanization leads to an increase in energy utilization and
emissions of gases that alter the world’s climate.
Common Ground/Shared Values/Shared Goals
Topic Sentence
“Despite differing priorities, both sides of the urban expansion debate share a common
goal of enhancing living conditions and fostering sustainable communities (Tonne, et al., 2021).”
Description
Conventional advocates for expanding urban areas, and conservationists aim to enhance
the standard and quality of living of the existing and successive generations. On one side of the
debate, there are numerous talks about the great opportunities for economic development that
urbanization offers; on the other side, many advocate the protection of natural ecosystems. While
5
proposing distinct lines of action, the management and the union understand the importance of a
moderate approach to developing prosperous, viable communities.
Possible Compromise or Solution
Proposed Compromise
To reconcile the needs for economic development and environmental protection, the
following solutions are proposed:
1. Integrated Green Infrastructure: Sustainable land development in urban areas
minimizes negative environmental effects while fostering economic growth. This
encompasses the development of parks, green roofs, and other sustainable
drainage systems to improve the urban setting.
2. Sustainable Urban Planning: Adopt planning policies that support more growth
in already developed urban cities instead of developing new ones. This approach
helps preserve the natural environment and ensure efficiency in the use of
available resources.
3. Community Involvement: Consult all stakeholders in the development planning
so that development responds to economic requirements and does not hinder
environmental conservation. Support from the community ensures that
competition of various interests is effectively managed and solutions are
sustainable.
Supporting Evidence
6
Green infrastructure contributes to the reduction of adverse ecological footprints and
enhances the quality of life in cities (Wang, et al., 2020). The findings on the best practices of
sustainable urban planning show that attaining growth is always possible while preserving
ecology.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the debate on urban expansion draws the attention of policymakers and
scholars to the best way of promoting economic development without polluting the environment.
Both parties recognize the goal of higher living standards that do not harm ecology. The
proposed compromise between sprawl and green involves both green infrastructure and
sustainable planning. Working together is the key to building urban surroundings that promote a
sustainable existence for people and our planet.
7
References
Chen, M., Ye, C., Lu, D., Sui, Y., & Guo, S. (2019). Cognition and construction of the theoretical
connotations of new urbanization with Chinese characteristics. Journal of Geographical
Sciences, 29, 1681-1698.
Galster, G., & Lee, K. O. (2021). Housing affordability: A framing, synthesis of research and
policy, and future directions. International Journal of Urban Sciences, 25(sup1), 7-58.
Li, G., Fang, C., Li, Y., Wang, Z., Sun, S., He, S., & Liu, X. (2022). Global impacts of future
urban expansion on terrestrial vertebrate diversity. Nature communications, 13(1), 1628.
Streule, M., Karaman, O., Sawyer, L., & Schmid, C. (2020). Popular urbanization:
Conceptualizing urbanization processes beyond informality. International Journal of
Urban and Regional Research, 44(4), 652-672.
Tonne, C., Adair, L., Adlakha, D., Anguelovski, I., Belesova, K., Berger, M., & Adli, M. (2021).
Defining pathways to healthy sustainable urban development. Environment international,
146, 106236.
Wang, Y., Ni, Z., Hu, M., Li, J., Wang, Y., Lu, Z., & Xia, B. (2020). Environmental performances
and energy efficiencies of various urban green infrastructures: A life-cycle assessment.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 248, 119244.
8
