Urbanization & Sustainability

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Urbanization & Sustainability

Loss of Greenspace

Forest areas and farmland are two major greenspace areas. Forests being habitats for various species and farmland is the source of fresh produce and vegetation. Eliminating these lands for urban development can put wildlife at risk and no plants & vegetation can lead to types of pollution.

Greenspace is shown to have many benefits such as health, vegetation, managing the environment, and even on animals. Eliminating this can result in the opposite of what is listed.

Urban areas aren't the best planned and are constructing more and more residential, commercial, and industrial land in terms of horizontally taken land. So in developing urban areas gray space (buildings & paved surfaces) takes the majority over greenspace. This reduces vegetation which can impact other topics.

Before starting the development of urban areas everything must be planned out to make the atmosphere sustainable. Such as planning the ratio of land uses, gray space, and greenspace. Start constructing buildings more vertically to take up less space which can leave more for greenspace. Things such as vertical farming, roof top gardens, and vegetation are the basic first step to a sustainable area.

Greenspaces include: Parks, gardens, playing fields, children's play areas, woods and other natural areas, grassed areas, and farmland.

Greenspace: Any piece of natural developed or undeveloped land that is separated or is surrounding residential and industrial lands.

Land Pollution

This is impacted by urbanization and construction as large groups of people living density in one area causes production of waste and littering which leads to land pollution. Construction takes a major part, with construction in developing cities produces a lot of waste which we don't do much with.

Land pollution can not only pollute the soil which affects greenspaces but also the solid waste going into the water bodies and ending up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Adding more plants and greenspace can manage these pollution emissions. This also benefits other things and helps prevent deforestation. Toxic chemicals play a role in land pollution. Cutting or reducing toxic chemicals such as pesticides will also reduce the contamination of soil. Build waste treatment plants which cut the toxicity of the waste if before being exposed to land.

This is caused by two basic things Littering and waste. Waste in the landfill still contributes to pollution and littering is something to be stopped.

Land Pollution is the contamination of the earth's surface at and below ground. Usually polluting the soil and causing solid waste on land.

Water Pollution

Most of the plastic waste ends up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch due to ocean currents called "gyres". Gyres usually pull things towards it's center in a patch.

Around 70% of earth is water and within the 70% there is 96% saltwater (not safe to drink) and 4% of freshwater (safe to drink). Polluting the bare minimum fresh water there is, there is nothing left for us to drink.

Polluting water can impact things like species that live in these river bodies and contaminate freshwater in aquifers with saltwater. Freshwater is a need for everyone but if we extract too much from underground aquifers and without greenspaces the polluted water will contaminate the aquifer as well.

One way is to construct water treatment plants that purify the wastewater by going through a long process. This would be the most efficient way as we are hitting the issue right at the source. Reducing plastic. Nearly 8 tonnes of plastic is released into the ocean annually. Not just littering but the mass production of plastic we are creating. This is affecting the species in water bodies. Lastly the most basic rule. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Everyone following this can reduce plastic ending up in the water bodies. To add on we should find alternate things to use on a daily basis other than plastic.

Water Pollution is caused by waste, air quality, and loss of greenspace.

Water Pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as rivers, streams, lakes, aquifers, and the ocean.

Subtopic

Waste management

Managing waste generally is important and doing it in a sustainable and efficient way is even more important

This can have an impact on land pollution and water pollution because of the garbage that ends up in the Great Pacific garbage patch.

Urbanization develops rapidly and things such as industrial waste and incineration can cause pollution

When planning out an urban area, recycling centers must be built. They are a great and efficient source of the three R's. Generally, recycle recyclable things to prevent them from ending up in landfills. Instead of throwing food waste in the garbage make sure to compost it, this is an efficient and useful source. This can lead to more greenspaces.

The actions that are taken regarding how waste is managed throughout the area. Incineration: The destruction of waste material by burning.