Blanchardstown and Liffey Valley. The increasing number of skilled workers living in the suburbs has made these areas more attractive for industry, resulting in the development of modern industrial estates such as Sandyford and Santry.


5.6 Expanding Cities and the


Pressures on Rural Land Use As cities grow outwards, countryside is lost to new developments. If left uncontrolled, urban sprawl can destroy rural land and put high pressure on rural services. Since the nineteenth century, Dublin’s surface area has grown from 45 km2


to 150 km2 the natural landscape surrounding it.


There are numerous factors that cause cities to expand: l


Rural to urban migration l


New residential developments on urban fringes to accommodate growing populations


l


Modern transport links that encourage commuters to travel longer distances to work, which causes the commuter belt to grow.


This has negatively impacted on the surrounding landscape: l


. This growth has come at a terrible cost to


; Fig. 5.17 The impacts of urban sprawl


It has caused former villages and towns to become built-up dormitory towns (e.g. Tallaght and Dundrum). As a result of rapid growth, these towns lose their independent identity and become just another part of the city.


l


Traffic congestion increases as existing roadways are unable to deal with the rapid increase in traffic volume using the roads.


l


Agricultural land is split by motorways and other transport arteries, often into unusable sections or areas too small for modern machinery.


l


The building of new housing developments on river floodplains has led to increased levels of flooding, e.g. the building of houses on floodplains of the River Shannon in Athlone.


In order to prevent further destruction to rural areas, greenbelts have been designated around cities. Greenbelts are areas of open land surrounding a city in which building is not allowed. Greenbelts help to contain urban sprawl by preventing further expansion of the city into agricultural land or small villages. Trees are often planted in greenbelts, since trees improve the overall air quality as they absorb harmful gasses and emit oxygen. Greenbelts can also help to prevent flooding, as they reduce the lag time in the aftermath of heavy rainfall.


GEO DICTIONARY


Lag time: the time it takes for rainwater to soak through the soil


ACTIVE LEARNING


1. What are the main pressures caused by expanding cities?


URBAN LAND USE AND PLANNING 149


The causes of, effects of and solutions to urban sprawl are covered in more detail in Chapter 6.


Note!


A


Z


Elective 5: Human CHAPTER 5


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