Mr. Essays (1321 words) - Urban Studies And Planning,

Urban Sprawl: Pro and Con The term "urban sprawl" has a bad ring to it. The name reinforces the view that metropolitan growth is ugly, inefficient, and the cause of traffic congestion and environmental harm. Before we decide we are against urban sprawl, however, we should be clear about what it is and why we do not like it. Once we look at its specific characteristics, we can recognize their causes and what, if anything, to do about them. My study of metropolitan growth indicates that three kinds of development are typical of what we call "urban sprawl." They include: leapfrog development, strip or ribbon development, and low-density, single-dimensional development. Let us look at each type in turn. Leapfrog development occurs when developers build new residences some distance from an existing urban area, bypassing vacant parcels located closer to the city. In other words, developers choose to build on less expensive land farther away from an urban area rather than on more costly land closer to the city. Because land prices are lower, housing in these developments is more affordable. Some people decide to accept longer commutes in exchange for more comfortable, lower-priced housing. What few people realize is that leapfrog development nurtures compact commercial development-retail stores, offices, and businesses. The empty parcels that have been "leapfrogged" create an ideal location for commercial activity. It is a fact of economic life that developers are reluctant to place new commercial buildings on the outskirts of an urban area because these areas lack a large market to draw shoppers from. When new development bypasses vacant land, however, the land in between is suddenly accessible to more people and thus attractive to commercial developers. Thus, leapfrogging is a vital part of development in growing areas. Leapfrog development does create some extra costs. Infrastructure must be extended farther and the longer distance creates more traffic and longer commutes into the city. For a leapfrog development to be cost-effective, the outlying development must pay the full costs of the infrastructure it requires. It is the responsibility of local governments to see that the costs of water, sewer, roads, and so forth are charged to the development.(1) As long as the new residents pay their share of the costs, leapfrog development benefits those who choose to live there and encourages commercial development at the edge of the urban area. Strip or ribbon development, the second category, takes place when extensive commercial development occurs in a linear pattern along both sides of major arterial roadways. Like other aspects of urban sprawl, it is viewed as ugly and as a cause of traffic congestion, since shoppers and workers are often entering into and exiting from the street. Yet strip development has its benefits. It brings together businesses that depend on high auto traffic. In fact, strips reduce overall traffic, since fewer cars must travel long distances from store to store or office to office. Strip development also creates natural locations for residential development. Between the commercial arteries, residential streets can have relatively little traffic yet be conveniently located near commerce. In many situations, strip or ribbon development does cause problems, but the reason is poor planning. Every business fifty feet from another business does not have to have a driveway opening onto a major thoroughfare, creating congestion as people enter and leave. Access lanes can be built to permit the smooth merging of traffic entering and leaving. Nor does strip development have to be unsightly. If the rightof- way is wide enough, landscaped buffers can separate the road from the businesses. To achieve this separation, though, governments must plan ahead to secure sufficient rights-of-way for major streets before they are built. The third characteristic of "urban sprawl" is low-density, single-dimensional development. This is typified by large residential subdivisions. Houses are situated on relatively large lots, with only other houses nearby. Residents must drive nearly everywhere they go. Critics say that low-density developments take up too much space, especially space that ought to be preserved in a pristine state. They say that they lengthen commuting distances, and, in general, that they harm the environment. Low-density developments do take up space and may increase driving time. However, they have an important argument in their favor: People like them. Low density means more room and

The Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee Essay Example

The Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee Essay Example The Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee Paper The Comanche Language and Cultural Preservation Committee Paper The paper will discuss the main aspect of a Comanche and what their culture is like. The paper encapsulates an interview from such a Native American and this interview will be analyzed with the help of other sources from the Internet. The paper will be followed by first introducing the Comanche tribe with their features and then go about analyzing the interview. The culture of the Comanche will be discussed in the light of how they treat their elders, children and their relatives. The culture also includes some of their important aspects of religion along with the language that they use. The paper will attempt to cover the overall aspect of the Comanche and their effect in the society. Introduction to a Comanche â€Å"The Comanche are a Native American group whose historical range (the Comancheria) consisted of present-day Eastern New Mexico, Southern Colorado, Southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of Northern and Southern Texas. There might once have been as many as 20,000 Comanches. Today, the Comanche Nation consists of approximately 10,000 members, about half of whom live in Oklahoma (centered at Lawton), with the remainder concentrated in Texas, California, and New Mexico. † (Wikipedia, 2006 ) From the above definition it can be understood that the Comanches are very old inhabitants of the United States of America and have long lived there. There are a number of reasons why the Comanches had left their older origin which is near Wyoming. The tribe had shifted to Arkansas where they are now inhabited. The reason why the Comanche is given a name like that is because it is believed that they like to fight and act as strangers to the other people. The origin of Comanche comes from a Spanish word and this is why it is used. They have always been a separate group and have not mingled much with the other tribes and other citizens of the country. Interview of a Comanche The name of the interviewee was Andrea Pahdocony who belongs to a tribe called Comanche of Oklahoma Lord of the Plains). The following questions and answers provide a summary of what their culture is like and how they live their lives. The questions and answers will then be analyzed along with other material to understand what their culture and beliefs are along with their values. Question # 1 Does your culture have several meanings for one word when spoken? For example, the English language uses the word tow to represent something pulling something else or it can be used to refer to a persons toe. Can you think of some examples? Changes in the language began in the late 1800s when children were taken from their homes and placed in boarding schools. They were discouraged from speaking their native tongue, and disciplined harshly for doing so. This treatment was not unique to Comanche people, but with native people throughout the newly discovered America. Government policy dictated the civilization of the First Americans, in part, by denying them their language. The children were taught the language of their parents and grandparents was bad. With this indoctrination, the language was not spoken in the home. English became the language of preference. By the mid 1900s, elders who could speak the language fluently were dying at an alarming rate and children were not being taught the language in order to maintain speakers within the tribe. In 2006, there are 13,000 enrolled Comanches, yet there are fewer than 1% who speak the language fluently. Analysis of the Interview The interview explains that the Native American has a clear set of values and beliefs that he follows that have come down from his ancestors. There are a number of times when the values are not followed but the traditions are kept intact. The tribe believes in teaching the children the traditions of the ancestors to keep the tribe alive. The tribe has been unsocial fro several years and even decades with the other Native Americans and citizens because they would have a different dialect and would be unable to communicate with anyone. The tribal members would just continue to use the same to communicate with one another. The children have now learned to sue the English language but there is a need to also learn their language because of the communication gap that may appear between two generations if this not done. The tribe emphasizes on respect to elders but it is not necessary that the children talk without meeting with the eye. Eye contact is considered as a tradition. The Comanche tribe is a famous and a very social group within itself that keeps up the traditions and the values of the ancestors very strongly. Bibliography Wikipedia. 2006. Comanche. Retrieved on December 18, 2006 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comanche.

Adapting to Workplace Changes in Professionalism Essay

Adapting to Workplace Changes in Professionalism - Essay Example Also in staff meetings, the communication process should be clear, logical, and professional (Allanwood, Gavin, and Peter Beare, 2014, para.1). Higher education institutions are an example where such group culture can be experienced. Active cultures bring about employee motivation, alignment of goals, structures that are needed and controls to improve the effectiveness of the organization. Group culture in the workplace also influences its effectiveness since culture assists in external adaptation and integration of internal issues of the organization. In higher education institutions, a culture may begin when a single individual has an idea of a new enterprise. The founder of the idea then assembles more people and comes up with a core group that has a shared vision with that of the founder. The core group believes that the idea is a good one and therefore they see the need for investing time and money in it (Allanwood, Gavin, and Peter Beare, 2014, Para.1). The core group then starts to work in a union to create an organization by raising funds, incorporating, obtaining patents, and locating space. At that point, new recruits are brought in the society and history commences to build. The initial organizational culture is an outgrowth of the philosophy of the founder. As time goes by the original culture is embedded or modified by other group cultures. The members of the organization teach each other about the preferred organization’s behaviors, values, beliefs, and expectations (Cozby, Paul, Patricia, Worden, and Daniel, Kee, 1989, Para 7). When members of the organization in higher education institutions interact with each other, they use terminology, language, and rituals related to demeanor and deference. There are various types of group culture experienced in the higher education institutions. They include; Constructive culture. Here the employees work together, beginnings from the