Urban Environmental Issues

2006-05-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

Temple University
Department of Geography and Urban Studies
Course: GUS 150 - Urban Environment
Instructor: Dr. Michele Masucci
Spring semester 2006

According to the course syllabus, the objective of this course was: to move beyond an understanding of the urban environment as simply a physical landscape or natural ecosystem that can be managed or to which people adjust.
Through developing a theoretical framework from which to analyze the power dynamics among institutions and actors we will address issues that continue to challenge urban society.

I think that the goals of the course were definitely met in an effective way. This semester-long blog project serves as a means of communicating the theoretical framework that I developed about urban environmental issues.

2006-04-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

Assignment #6
The purpose of this assignment was to go out and explore the location of my choice in order to compose field notes based on three set themes: Industrial landscape, gentrification, and healthscape. The objective of the field exercises was to document my obervations and immediate impressions of the landscape so that I could further analyze the data later. I commute to Temple and I live in the suburbs of Bucks County, so most of my interpretations of the urban environment are based on the comparison between urban and suburban.

Focus: Temple University main campus and surrounding area

Field Report Part I: Industry and Commerce in North Philadelphia

Purpose: To interpret how industry and commerce is supported in the community
Date: March 16, 2006
Location: South on 11th, West on Montgomery,South on 6th, West on Norris, South on 7th, East on Berks to 11th St

Field Report Part II: Gentrification in North Philadelphia

Purpose: To interpret public/private partnerships in terms of gentrification within the community
Date: April 20, 2006
Location: North on 11th, East onBerks, South on 6th, West on Norris to 10th St

Field Report Part III: Health Landscape in North Philadelphia

Purpose: To interpret how health is supported in the community
Date: April 6, 2006
Location: North on 12th, West on Cecil B. Moore, North on 22nd, East on Cecil B. Moore to Broad St

· Temple high-rise building photo, source: http://www.gradprofiles.com/temple-allied-health.html
· All other Photos, source: Photographed by Cindy Foundos, April 2006

2006-03-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

Assignment #5:
Community Description

My example of a unique setting is the abandoned Philadelphia State Hospital, known as Byberry, in Northeast Philadelphia. This site is bounded by Roosevelt Boulevard, Southampton Road, Carter Road, and Poquessing Creek Drive. What makes this location unique is its history and the current planning for redevelopment of the area.

The Philadelphia State Hospital was opened in 1907, while construction for a large asylum complex was in progress from 1910 to the mid-1920s. Due to the WWI shortage many buildings were built with scrap metal and other materials which caused many of the structures to easily deteriorate. The fascility housed a large number of patients and was run by the city until 1936 when it had to be signed over to the state because of reports of patient neglect and abuse
(www.opacity.us/site10_philadelphia_state_hospital_byberry.htm).

After the state gained control of the hospital it underwent a massive expansion. By the 1960s there were over 50 buildings, 7,000 patients, and 800 staff members. Due to publicized reports and investigations into the mistreatment of patients and the horrible living conditions, the hospital was ordered to close, which it did in 1990. Since its closing the buildings have been stripped down for copper by looters, or otherwise left to rot. Demolition had been scheduled and was cancelled upon the discovery of large amounts of asbestos inside the buildings. An estimate of about $15 million would be needed to remove asbestos from the existing buildings. Therefore, the abandoned mental hospital remained as part of an urban legend surrounded with horror stories. It became a popular place for vandalism; most of the buildings are covered in graffitti and broken glass (www.opacity.us).

In January2004, the state sold the property to the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. (PIDC) for $850,000. PIDC then chose the combined team of Brandywine Realty Trust and Westrum Development Co. to develop the site. (www.phila.gov/ohnp/byberry.htm). The final plan for development of the former Philadelphia State Hospital was revealed in December 2005.

"The site, a former psychiatric hospital and magnet for trespassers, is tentatively being called Eagle Pointe and will include an active adult community [which requires residents to be age 55 and older with no children] and office buildings. There is also a 25-acre open space that Westrum will eventually sell to a third party to maintain as a passive park...Their plan includes a 442-house development at the middle of the Byberry site, with a community club house and pool at the center. Brandywine will construct five office buildings and build another intersection at Roosevelt Boulevard" (www.opacity.us/articles/article.php?id=30).

It is believed that the new construction will be an asset to the community. Demolition of the remaining 17 buildings was scheduled to begin in February of this year and carry out until January of 2007.

· ByberrySign Photo, source: http://www.geocities.com/paexplorations/Byberry.html
· ByberryBuildings Photos, source: http://www.opacity.us/image1834_nuclear_sun.htm

2006-03-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

Assignment #4: Environmental Ethical Dilemma

Littering is an ethical dilemma that does not allow for easy solutions towards the goal of enhancing environmental quality. Litter is associated with the disposal of trash and the effort to dispose of waste properly. The way I see it is: There are people who always litter, people who sometimes litter, and people who never litter. Each of these types of people has a set of beliefs or values that contributes to the actions that they take.

In my opinion, those who are frequent to litter their trash are oriented in the present and don't think twice about the environmental consequences or community appearance. Those that never litter, or always find a trash can, are oriented with the future and care about the consequences. The people that sometimes litter are interested in convenience and may not put forth the extra effort to dispose of trash properly when resources are not readily available. But no matter what type of person you are or how earth-friendly you behave there is still the overwhelming dilemma of, "So what, it all ends up in the same place."

It is hard to find a solution to the littering problem when there is an even greater trash problem. People are consumers of material goods in this society and the consequence of that action is the mass production of waste on a daily basis. With most of our trash, even those neatly-tied, scented trash bags, transferred to a far-off dump - isn't that just littering in the end?

It's also hard to reprimand individuals for not following out a responsibility when it isn't universal. Everybody has their own idea of what's important and what's worthwhile. One person might care less about throwing trash on the ground or out a car window, while another person will make a conscious effort to put their trash where it 'belongs.' So how does this problem get regulated? Why should people be concerned? What difference does it make?

Even as I was growing up I remember being concerned about littering in the environment. This is probably because I was always playing outdoors in the woods, surrounded by nature and not used to seeing trash throughout the landscape. I learned to respect the little things in nature and a no-littering policy became a belief of mine. It's important to realize that this belief is not universal because people grow up in all kinds of places, with different landscapes and social norms. I did not grow up in the city, so when I'm there and I see trash scattered along the streets and in peoples' front yards I can't help but disapprove of the view. But who's to blame? Why should we care about trash entering into ecosystems where it causes harm or becomes an eyesore when we all know that its ultimate destination is a landfill? Littering poses an environmental dilemma because it involves the actions of indivuals and there is always a greater problem looming overhead. 'Out of sight, out of mind' is not the correct solution for dealing with the excessive amount of trash people produce, but what is?

· RoadsideTrash Photo, source: http://www.colerainebc.gov.uk/content_gfx/environment/-streetlitter.jpg
· LitterBug Image, source: http://www.milton.ca/images/LitterBug_colour_500.jpg

2006-03-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Assignment #3: Community Map

This sketch map represents my neighborhood, Yardley Corners, in Bucks County PA. It is a small-scale map that shows the streets and townhouses in this private community along with the landscape features, connecting access roads, street lights, nearby shopping center and gas station.

I chose to show this portion of the town I live in on my map because it is my neighborhood and the surrounding features within walking distance that give me a sense of community. Although I have only lived in this home for a year and a half, I've worked in the shopping center across from Big Oak Road for almost five years, so I have become familiar with a lot of the same faces from the community.

This map depicts a good snapshot of a suburban community because it includes most of the typical features. There is easy access to the Rt. 1 highway and I-95 with a Mobil gas station right before the exit. Coming off of Rt. 1 on the right-hand side there is Oxford Oaks shopping center which is in the form of a strip-mall with the exception of a Kohl's and a Sovereign Bank that are separate buildings. The shopping center contains the usual: Super Fresh, Blockbuster, Hair Cuttery, Einstein's Bagels, Starbucks, a pizza shop, a couple of restaurants, dry cleaners, jewelry store, card store, photo store, bank, and a sporting goods store. It's a big shopping center with a variety of services. There are 3 street lights shown; two of which control busy intersections and one that controls an entrance to the shopping center. As with most suburban neighborhoods the homes are closely spaced with small plots of grass between them. There is a large pond with a fountain and a walking path (which i have indicated with footsteps) that circles my neighborhood and continues down Big Oak and Oxford Valley roads. The walking path is a nice feature of the community and a lot of people use it.

The juxtaposition within my neighborhood that I selected is the acres of land along Oxford Valley Road and continuing down Big Oak Road behind the Mobil. This open land provides a nice view while traveling down the walking path or driving through the town. It gives me a good feeling to know that not every square mile has been paved over. However, this feeling doesn't last for long because there are 3 large white Matrix signs on this land (which I have indicated in pink with the letter M) that lead me to believe that it won't be long until the land is sold to corporate development. People within the community that don't want the land to be turned into corporate centers protest "stop Matrix." The for-sale signs have been posted for a while now almost as if they are part of the landscape, but I try not to overlook their presence.

· Map and Matrix Photos, source: Illustrated and photographed by Cindy Foundos, March 2006

2006-03-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Assignment #2: Juxtaposition Identification and Discussion

The juxtaposition that I have identified is the placement and operation of a landfill located within a suburban landscape of Bucks County, PA in Falls Township. The Tullytown Landfill is located on Bordentown Road in Tullytown, which falls between Levittown and Bristol, PA. This landfill is adjacent to the Delaware River and located nearby is residential developments, The Penn Warner Club, and Pennsbury Manor.

Before Waste Management opened the landfill in 1988 Tullytown was broke, but not for long. Much of the trash that comes in daily is from New York and New Jersey and thanks to dumping fees "Tullytown owes its solvency to garbage" (www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-09-28-dump-usat_x.htm). Landfills would be considered a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) by most residents in a community, but not the residents of Tullytown. Why? Because each year Waste Management mails every property owner in the town a check for $1,500 and residents don't complain about the trash trucks, the flocks of sea gulls, the occasional odor, or the giant mountain of trash.

As you travel down Main Street in Tullytown (nicknamed 'Toilettown') towards Bordentown Road the scenery becomes pretty glum. A residential area turns into a long stretch of road with a rather industrial appearance and lots of trucks. The dump is further down the road but along the way you pass Pennsbury Manor, a national historic site, and The Penn Warner Club, a private, protected recreational center. It strikes me as odd that this giant landfill is placed in such close proximity to these points of interest.

Thousands of visitors come each year to visit Pennsbury Manor, a State Park and the summer home of William Penn, and have to deal with the sight and smell of the landfill (www.delawareriverkeeper.org/factsheets/grows.html). Meanwhile, The Penn Warner Club which sits adjacent to the Tullytown Landfill (and its neighboring GROWS landfill) attracts its many members as a recreational boating, campground, hunting and fishing retreat (www.buckscountybass.com/pennwarner.php). I find it kind of scary that people boat and fish (and swim!) on any lake in the surrounding area. The location of the Tullytown landfill seems rather unsuitable for an area with residential housing and a historic attraction nearby. Nevermind the fact that several public water supply intakes are located in the Delaware River within 5 miles downstream of the dump site (www.delawareriverkeeper.org).

· TullytownLandfill Photo, source: http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Pictures.htm
· Trucks Photo, source: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/lowerbucks/-13344978.htm

2006-03-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

Assignment #1: Horse and Carriage Position

On January 2, 2006, a horse pulling a carriage in Manhattan got startled and ran for a few blocks before causing a frightening accident when it crashed into a car. The carriage driver, along with the passengers of the vehicle, was critically injured. The horse, who was five years old and had worked in the city for only a few months, was euthanized because of its injuries. I'm sure that witnesses were horrified by this scene. (www.petitiononline.com/ch4ny123/petition.html).

Accidents such as this one don't have to happen and can be prevented by placing a ban on the horse-drawn carriage industry. Horses don't belong in busy, congested cities working in potentially dangerous conditions amongst the pollution, noise, and overall commotion of the city. Manhattan is too heavily populated as it is with cars, pedestrians, bikers, emergency vehicles, taxis, and buses. Horses just do not belong. There may have been a time when this service was functional, but it no longer is. The horse and carriage industry should be retired in NYC like it has been in other major cities such as Paris, Las Vegas, and London.

Some of the arguments for keeping this industry alive include: the horse and carriage represent a city historically, make for a good tourist attraction, and provide people with jobs. However, the focus should be on the safety of everyone in the city and the humane treatment of the animal. A proposed comprimise was to confine the horse and carriage rides to the boundaries of Central Park. At first this seems like a good idea because the horse will be in a more 'natural' environment and out of the way of traffic, but really it's just making the problem less noticeable, not solving it.

· HorseandCarriage Photo, source: http://network.bestfriends.org/newyork/news/916.html
· HorseCrash Photo, source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/379712p-322421c.html
· Mannequin Art, source: http://www.sdgallery.com/catalogs/stephens/2001/showslide.htm?mannequin.jpg