Urban Sprawl Moving my Way

~ Amusives

Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress.
-John Clapham, A Concise Economic History of Britain, 1957

145,200 sq. ft. of warehouse space in a single building with the ability to expand by another 57,200 sq. ft. It has a clear height of 32 feet and a building depth of 260 feet, with parking for 175 cars. The total site is 6.65 acres.

This monster building is just one of many that are gobbling up the land that once insulated us from the Urban Sprawl of the City.

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.
– Bill Vaughn –

14 thoughts on “Urban Sprawl Moving my Way”

  1. One step forward, two steps back…. is that a quote or did that really just hit me looking at your photo of the monster building. Definitely “sprawl” in the wrong direction.

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    1. You are exactly right – a step forward for the developer, two steps back for the residents out our way.

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  3. As a denizen of a major metropolitan area, in my experience, it seems to go like this: The good news: The city centers (or centres for some As I Age readers) (at least the old cities) are being rehabilitated and folks are starting to return to actually reside there. The inner rings of suburbs of at least the older eastern US cities are now “grown in”–old trees, older houses, light rail to get into the city and fierce zoning and conservation boards. It’s the exurbs where one mostly finds the office parks, warehouses and malls. I suppose these have to go somewhere–although in our old eastern US cities, it would be nice if they’d rehab some of the deserted former manufacturing space in the cities. Actually, this is happening some in Philly. If exurban folks want to conserve the countryside where they live, they have to band together and purchase land as it comes up for sale. For those who believe it’s every man (person) for themselves, do nothing and enjoy your new neighboring warehouses, office parks and malls. Are you listening, Ron Paul? OK. I will now step down off my soapbox. Peace. Out.

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    1. I agree Suzanne, it is great to see the city centers become places for people to live again. As for conserving the countryside, the value of the land around us has been driven so high that the farmers are willing to sell the land to developers and then retire with a nest egg that far exceeds their wildest dreams. And who can blame them – grain farming is a heart breaking occupation.

      The few of us who don’t want to see development can’t afford prices of 12 to 20 million dollars per quarter section!

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  4. This seems to fit with last week’s them of “Merge,” as well, especially with the fence in the foreground.

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    1. Good point – it would have been a good Merge photo. Rural to urban, prairie to mountain, sky to cloud.

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    1. Thanks Lorna. I hadn’t thought of this in terms of ICK – more UGH, but I expect the words are interchangeable!

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  6. Eventually there will be a warehouse large enough to contain small provinces or states like Prince Edward Island or Tuvalu.

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    1. You are so funny, Curmudgeon!
      I wouldn’t mind having a warehouse large enough to cover my house and yard. Then my garden wouldn’t get beaten down with hail or eaten by the deer.

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