Today’s blog is the second in a multi-part series that will look at 9 factors that influence a city’s livability. This series was inspired by an interview with musician turned author David Byrne that appeared in the September 11, 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal. A link to the original article will follow this post. Our last blog looked at how size impacts the quality of life within a city; today we will examine how density influences the quality of life within a city.

The city of Pensacola is a small area, both in terms of land mass and population. The city has a total area of only 39.7 sq. miles with a population of 53,248. However, the Escambia County metro area is significant with a population of 437,125 and a total area of 876 sq. miles. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census data on Urbanized Areas, Pensacola ranks 58 out of 100 Largest U.S. Urbanized Areas ranked by square miles of sprawl (1970- 1990). According to their data, Pensacola has 88.9 square miles of sprawl.

The impact of sprawl on quality of life in our area is far reaching. Urban sprawl can degrade community spirit and values, it can also reduce leisure time and access to recreational activities and it increases taxes and infrastructure costs, impacts worker productivity, and creates environmental issues.

While the impact of urban sprawl in our area is not as significant as it is in areas such as Atlanta, its effects can still be felt. A few examples: Try to grocery shop or drop off dry cleaning in Downtown Pensacola. Try to run errands (bank, post office, pharmacy) on foot or bike from your neighborhood. Try to take public transit from Century to an event in Downtown Pensacola – a 45 mile, hour plus journey. Urban sprawl disengages us from our community. We move from one destination (home, car, office, megastore) to the next without real interaction with other members of the community. This impacts the social capital of our area, and in turn reduces our quality of life.

There is also an economic impact of urban sprawl. Businesses often choose to locate their offices in areas that are centrally located for employees. As the pool of workers moves further from the city center, so do the business centers, which can lead to empty downtown areas. This can also create geographical concentrations of poverty. When a business relocates, not only are the employees of the relocating business impacted, but support businesses are as well – the nearby deli that depended on the office lunch orders, the parking attendant, the corner store that sold coffee and papers. The minimum-wage employees of those businesses cannot relocate, and with no new business coming in, they are often left without many job options. Lack of public transportation also impacts their ability to get jobs outside of their immediate area, thus continuing the cycle of poverty.

As you can see, urban sprawl is much more than just a longer drive to work each day. The effects are far reaching and impact the entire community.

How do you think we can reduce the impact of Urban Sprawl on our area? How can we prevent further urban sprawl?

To read the David Byrne article in its entirety, please click here.