Have you ever been caught by surprise by a new housing development or industrial complex that changed your town? Do you ever wonder what your community will look like five, ten or fifteen years from now? There’s no doubt about it — Maryland’s communities are changing. Fortunately, you can have a say in how these decisions are made.
This booklet contains information about how the changes to our landscape are affecting our neighborhoods, open spaces, schools, and the way we move and interact in our communities.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MARYLAND
Like the rest of the country, Maryland has undergone a profound transformation in the past 50 years. Historically, many Marylanders were attracted to cities for jobs. Others settled across the rural landscape depending on farms, forests or the Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood.
But following World War II, a new pattern of growth emerged. A housing shortage combined with the nation’s new prosperity and tax policies sparked a development boom. Suburbia quickly grew — typically as “cookie cutter” designs built as bedroom communities without the convenience of nearby shops and offices. People saw it as a secure and comfortable environment for raising a family.
One cause of urban sprawl was the nation’s growing dependence on the automobile. The near-universal use of automobiles in the United States led to sprawl by allowing the distance between jobs, homes, and shopping centers to increase. Today, our sprawling patterns of development and reliance on cars have led to a cycle where each reinforces the other.
In many areas, growth outpaces the services needed to support it. Local governments face increasing costs for new roads, sewer and water lines and schools. These higher costs are then passed on to local taxpayers. For example, studies around the country, including Maryland, have shown that each dollar of taxes paid by farm property requires less than $.50 in community services like water and sewer, police and fire protection, and roads. By contrast, each dollar of taxes paid by residential development typically requires $1.10-$1.40 for the same services.If current growth patterns continue, new development will consume as much land in central Maryland alone in the next 25 years as it has over the entire 350-year history of the State.
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If current growth patterns continue, new development will consume as much land in central Maryland alone in the next 25 years as it has over the entire 350-year history of the State.
The Changing Landscape
The costs of sprawl go beyond dollars and cents. How much is wildlife habitat worth? Or clean air and water? By permanently altering Maryland, sprawl decreases our quality of life in ways that are impossible to measure.
The changes in our landscape are obvious. When European colonists first arrived in Maryland, forests covered about 95 percent of our State. Forests now cover about 45 percent. Will fewer forests and wetlands really make a difference? For our wildlife, the answer is clearly yes. But these changes also have a big impact on us.
Land: Forests and wetlands provide our best defense against pollution. These areas are not only vital habitat for plants, birds and other wildlife, but they also function as pollution filters. These natural buffers absorb rainfall, recharging streams and groundwater supplies without harmful erosion.
Streamside trees also provide leaves for insects to eat, roots for fish to hide in, and dead logs that create pools for big fish. Wetlands are home to an amazing number of creatures, including the young crabs and fish that support Maryland’s recreational and commercial fisheries.
After 50 years of expansive growth, our developed areas are penetrating deep into these natural areas. Over half of the State’s wetlands have disappeared, and about half of our streams are poorly protected or unprotected by forest buffers.
Water: Sprawl takes a major toll on the health of our rivers and streams, and on our groundwater. The large amount of land now covered with impervious surfaces — pavement, roofs, roads and parking lots — is one of the main reasons why Maryland’s streams are in poor health. When rain falls on pavement, it can’t soak into the earth, replenish the groundwater, or slowly seep into the nearest stream. Instead, it runs rapidly over ground, picking up dirt and other pollutants, eroding streambanks, and smothering habitat with sediment. And because paved surfaces absorb and retain heat from the sun, such runoff makes the water in local streams too warm for sensitive species such as trout.
Air: Maryland has some of the worst air quality in the country, and pollution experts estimate that about one third of our pollution is from car and truck emissions. While pollution control technology has improved over the past decade, these gains are threatened by the impact of additional cars and more miles traveled each day.
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Looking Ahead
The good news is that we don’t have to resign ourselves to a future with fewer forests and fields and more parking lots and strip malls. Across the State, people who treasure our communities and natural resources are getting involved and are having an impact on how we grow. Maryland will continue to grow, but the decisions we make about how and where we develop can help ensure that Maryland remains a great place to live.
This booklet celebrates communities across the State that are taking action to improve their neighborhoods and protect the environment. Most importantly it has practical tips for what you can do today and in the future to create more livable communities and enjoy a healthier, more relaxed way of life.
These maps below show the growth of the Washington/Baltimore area and the rapid development of areas outside the cities during the 20th Century.
Picturing a Healthy Landscape
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1. Investing in Downtowns provides a vital center for neighborhoods, cultural events, business centers and jobs.
2. Concentrating Development near cities and towns and revitalizing existing neighborhoods helps save money, time and Maryland's natural resources.
3. Agricultural Lands are a key part of Maryland's future. Sound management practices provide wildlife habitat, protect local streams and the Bay, and provide food.
4. Large Forests provide vital wildlife habitat, help filter pollutants from air and water, and provide forestry products.
5. Streamside Forests and Wetlands filter nutrients and toxics from the water and provide food and shelter for a while array of animals on land and water.
6. Streamside and Rivers are the blood vessels of the landscape. A healthy Chesapeake Bay can only be as healthy as its tributaries. There are over 17,000 miles of streams in Maryland, but many are threatened by erosion and pollution from development.
7. The Chesapeake Bay is the Nation's largest and most productive estuary, but it is threatened by excess nutrients and sediment.
Are There Limits to Growth?
Maryland will continue to grow in the future. How much more can we grow and still maintain our quality of life? For all of us who enjoy eating fresh seafood, walking through rural landscapes and breathing clean air, the question is a critical one.
For example, without drinking water, homes can’t be built. In Southern Maryland, a major study of groundwater is underway to determine how to best provide water for a population that is growing faster than any other area in Maryland. Already, plans are underway to tap the last largely unused groundwater source in the region. As groundwater close to the surface is used up, wells can be contaminated, and residences with old wells are faced with high costs for new, deeper wells.
One approach to this problem is to limit the impacts of growth on the environment. Advanced watershed treatment, water conservation, and the creation of buffers between homes and businesses, clustering development and preserving sensitive natural resources help maintain the environment while allowing new development to continue.
A streamside forest buffer can filter out well over half of the nitrogen that would otherwise pass into the stream, further polluting the Bay.
What is Sprawl?
Low-density, land-consumptive development that:
- Consumes forests, farms and open spaces;
- Abandons existing infrastructure and older urban areas for new development on the suburban fringe;
- Separates jobs from homes;
- Forces dependence on cars.
What is smart Growth?
New investment in growth that:
- Preserves open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas;
- Takes advantage of existing community water, sewer, buildings and roads;
- Provides choices about where to live and how to travel;
- Mixes retail stores, offices, restaurants and schools so that people can walk from place to place.
Is Sprawl Bad for Your Health?
Yes. Considering the time we spend in our cars commuting, neighborhoods and roads that are unfriendly to pedestrians and bicycles, and poor air quality from growing traffic, our patterns of development are harming our health. One common denominator is our car-dependent lifestyle. Nationwide, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death, and spending more time in the car increases the risk of a collision.
All that traffic exhaust contributes to some of the nation’s worst air quality. And it isn’t just a problem in the city. Poor air quality is a problem in many areas across the State. Maryland’s most persistent air pollution problem remains ground-level ozone from vehicle emissions and smokestacks. This “bad” ozone can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea and eye and throat irritation. Moreover, air pollution contributes to the development and severity of asthma. Nationwide, asthma is the main reason for emergency room visits, and the number one reason why kids miss school. Asthma mostly affects the very young, very old, and very poor, and it is rapidly becoming more common.
As Marylanders spend more time in traffic, time for exercise declines, contributing to the growing number of us who are overweight. Exercise is also made difficult by neighborhoods or schools without sidewalks or bike trails. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 60 percent of American adults are not regularly physically active. The trends are similar for children.
Suburban living can also be a problem for older Americans who drive less or not at all and need transportation choices to maintain their independence. Naturally, not all of the problem can be blamed on our sprawling patterns of development, but they contribute to overall health trends.
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