Feeling the Heat
endeavors Spring 2006
by Mark Derewicz


Big houses, long commutes
...Carolina researchers agree that the federal government
should lead the way on global warming and peak oil, but
they also agree that these issues have deep roots that all
of us should understand.  

Our sustainability nightmare began with the American
dream - suburbia.

At the turn of the twentieth century, cities were crowded and polluted, which caused public health problems.  
The government subsidized cars, oil, and highway construction.  Banks gave better mortgage deals for suburban
development.  “We subsidized our way into sprawl,” says Philip Berke, professor of city and regional planning
and chair of environmental studies.  From an economic standpoint, it made sense. Environmentally, the problems
keep popping up.

…Berke believes that we should concentrate commercial and residential areas together and then provide mass
transit if none exists.  “There’s a notion that transit is expensive,” he says.  “Well, so are highways.”  Transit-
oriented developments would justify alternative forms of transportation, he says.

There are favorable trends.  Since 1990, city centers of Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham have gained popularity.
Some towns are building up instead of out.  And, according to Berke, more than one million Americans have
moved into planned new urban communities, such as Southern Village and Meadowmont in Chapel Hill. 

…Also, Berke says, education is essential, starting with elementary school-age kids.  As for the rest of us,
we’ll likely have to adjust our lifestyles.

To read the complete article, including comments from other Carolina researchers, visit:
http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/spr2006/feature_01.php