GeoSciences Exam 3
Sunday, October 21, 2012
10:03 PM
Externalities: pg. 264
Externality: a cost or benefit of a good or service that is not included in the purchase price of that good
or service. Ex: positive/negative externalities.
Account for the potential harm that comes from the use of that resource---external costs
Causes and Effects of Urban Sprawl: pg. 274-276
Urban Sprawl: the creation of urbanized areas that spread into rural areas and remove clear boundaries
between the two.
Clusters of housing, retail shops, office parks.
Dependence on the automobile has led to suburban residents driving over twice as much as people who
live in cities. Between 1950-2000, miles driven tripled per person in US suburban areas.
Causes and Effects of Urban Sprawl---
4 Main Causes:
-Automobiles and Highway Construction
-Living Costs
-Urban Blight: the degradation of the built and social environments of the city that often
accompanies and accelerates migration to the suburbs.
-Government Policies
Highway Trust Fund, begun by Highway Revenue Act of 1956 and federal gas tax, pays for
the construction and maintenance of roads and highways.
Induced Demand: an increase in the supply of a good causes demand to grow.
Induced demand as a cause of traffic congestion and urban sprawl.-Figure 10.15 pg. 275
Zoning: a planning tool developed in the 1920's to separate industry and business from
residential neighborhoods and create quieter, safer communities.
Multi-use zoning: allows retail and high-density residential development to coexist in the
same area.
Tragedy of the Commons: pg. 262-264
Garrett Hardin, 1968, Tragedy of the Commons--
The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest
for short-term gain.
Federal Regulation of Land Use: pg. 273
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 1969: mandates an environmental assessment of all projects
involving federal money or federal permits. - Protection of natures resources
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): outlines the scope and purpose of the project, describes the
environmental context, suggests alternative approaches to the project, and analyzes the environmental
impact of each alternative.
