sprawl (Patreon)

"Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small 

That we can never get away from the sprawl"

Sprawl II by Arcade Fire has been stuck in my head for over a week now, and I can't say I'm complaining. Its got me thinking about how we keep expanding our exurbs and rural areas, pushing farther and farther into forests that are prone to burning due to mismanagement and drought; turning land near cities that was once farmland into housing developments, pushing our food sources farther and farther from our population centers; paving over swamps and wetlands, limiting the extent to which those areas can protect us from flooding. 

I'm not advocating that we don't expand our housing supply, particularly not in areas like Seattle that desperately need it. But what choices are we making when we build in sensitive areas, and how can we do it smarter? 

One podcast I've been turning to lately to expand my horizons thinking about housing and zoning and equity issues is Critical Value from The Urban Institute . They haven't tackled this issue directly, yet, but I find that every episode I listen to challenges me to broaden my horizons, look at the roots of issues deeper, and focus on equity when I think about how this country could run different. I highly recommend it. 

shot by Willow