Think of those old quaint downtowns with the welcoming storefronts, wide sidewalks and everything within a short walking distance. Then think about why we rarely, if ever, see new development such as these; the reason in part is zoning. Zoning, changes in lifestyle and a growing middle class spurred changes to the way new cities and suburbs developed.
Transportation is important to our everyday lives and health, and significantly impacts the environment and city development. When gasoline-run cars were introduced in the year 1885, they opened up possibilities and the freedom to live and travel in a way unimaginable at the time. However, the use of the automobile has also created a series of problems along with it.
Cities have this stigma of being polluted, dirty, and some environmentalists’ worst nightmare. Although cities are not perfect, they have some excellent environmentally friendly qualities that we can build upon to improve our environment and quality of life.
How important is it to have more "green" in our cities? And by "green" I mean grass, trees and various other plants. Having proper vegetation in any area including a city is important because it influences temperature, air quality and runoff water. Vegetation located in a few city parks or planted between sidewalks and streets are not sufficient and not just because of inadequate quantity but also because of location.