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Roger Chanin
Alyssa Chabier
English
11/2/2016
Correcting our Cities and the Problems they Cause
City life can be rewarding from many standpoints; economic opportunities are more abundant,
social interaction is copious, information and products are easier to access. But in today’s world these
advantages come at a cost. Both mentally and physically hazardous conditions arise in most world and
U.S. cities as a result of poor city planning. Backed up expressways, factories, mixed with poor living
conditions, and toxic environments create a demanding and often dangerous environment for occupants.
Modern cities often struggle to maintain a healthy environment and the poor living environments inside
will often lead to long and short term sickness both physically and mentally. In fact, most everyone inside
cities is affected whether they are aware of it or not (Newitz, Annalee).
Currently understanding the problems that urban and suburban environments create tends to be
the easier step but understanding how to fix such problems is a larger issue. Not only is correcting the
environmental issues a hard thing to do complications continuously occur no matter how you approach
restoration: firstly, many cities and companies do not have an available budget to cover these renovations
despite the fact that green energy and sustainable building often pays for itself in a matter of years.
Second, ecological issues can sometimes occur during construction. These problems can lead to such
issues as displacement of residents, air pollution from demolition or construction, and additional
problems. Finally, the third issue lies in the fact multitudes of people still do not believe necessary change
is needed inside modern cities today. Perhaps that is why many countries do not take the necessary steps
to improve city atmosphere and life. However, correcting the environment of cities might be just what the
U.S. (and other world countries) needs. Considering the U.S. federal government spends 49% of its
budget on “major entitlements” such as social security and healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid, and others:
more than 113 billion alone on mental health care and billions more on health care in general (Boccia, 4).
Creating efficient and less polluted cities will help reduce cases of chronic illness and illness caused from
the environment thus improving world health as well as altering the very culture of society; placing more
emphasis on taking care of the city that one lives in. After all, studies conducted by the American Lung
Association in 2009 show that six out of ten Americans are living with air pollution levels that “endanger
lives,” that’s more than 186 million people in the U.S. alone. Although some cities are taking steps to
reduce pollution nearly every U.S. city still has significant amounts of air pollution (American Lung
Association). Studies like these show that the idea of improving the overall environment in cities isn’t
such a threatening idea even today.
Concept Design 1 – Roger Chanin (Fig. 1)
The first step of creating better city environments is to understand the problems. Nearly every
major city struggles with a pollution problem. Many of the respiratory effects that exist are a result of
heavy pollution caused by the immense amounts of cars, industry, and buildings within cities. Brain
development and function is not helped by copious amount of toxins either. Making cities greener is one
way to cut down on emissions and unlike 10 years ago renewable energy is becoming almost as cost
effective as fossil fuels and coal (US Energy). Today we have the technology to take old buildings and
make them environmentally friendly. One such example is with New York’s Empire State Building and
its 2011 retrofit. The work put into the building made it one of the U. S’s most environmentally clean
office buildings. It was fitted with heat storing windows, cutting edge electronic control systems, and
efficient heating and cooling systems. The projects total cost would amount to only 13.2 million dollars
but the work done reduced energy depletion by 38 percent which would reduce gas emissions by 100,000
metric tons in just 15 years and the buildings 13.2-million-dollar investment would create a
reimbursement period of only 3.5 years not to mention the creation of countless jobs during the
reconstruction process. Meanwhile cities in the U.S. and around the world are creating countless other
successful projects inside major metropolises, making them healthier and more sustainable places to live.
The United Arab Emirates are working to create entire cities with little to no carbon emissions. Dubai’s
green programs are known for their utilization of sustainable energy. And perhaps the United Arab
Emirates seeks the most credit for their work on Masdar City which is going to be a carbon free city (it is
currently in the planning period). Spain and Hong Kong can receive credit for their work on creating
efficient public transportation networks. Hong Kong in particular is known for their metro system and
Spain for smart travel programs and LED traffic lights (Bouton, Shannon). And these are just a few of the
many positive examples of sustainable change within cities.
It is clear that our bodies are not meant to live in modern city environments; taking the benefits
that a city has to offer generally means that you are excepting a host of risks as well. And considering that
half of the world’s population now resides inside cities it’s no wonder that common physical ailments are
not decreasing as medicine improves. Breathing illnesses are common especially in children who grow up
in urban environments as opposed to rural regions, the reason being that most cities carry oodles of
pollutants and chemicals in the air at higher concentrations. Studies conducted by the “Journal of Allergy
and Clinical Immunology” show that higher poverty areas also carry higher instances of asthma within
cities (Gern, 545-49). This is likely due to the fact that high poverty areas cannot afford the necessary
improvements to correct the environmental problems within these areas. Another study reported a
significantly inferior frequency of any chest illness in rural environments as opposed to urban ones, the
study concluded, “those monitored where less likely than in the urban location to be associated with the
reporting of persistent cough and phlegm and different symptoms (types of breathlessness and wheeze)
indicative of asthma” (Godden, DJ). The study also found that of those who had breathlessness and
wheeze in the rural and urban environments those who lived the rustic areas had a better quality of life
score as opposed to the city dwellers (Godden, DJ). The reason for the higher allergy rates in urban
environments is not only related to the pollutants but to "hygiene hypothesis" a theory which says that the
human immune doesn’t grow as strong in “artificially antiseptic and decontaminated environments”
which cities often can be. City environments often put inhabitants at higher risks for certain cancers that
result from the pollutants and toxins that commonly exist inside the city environment as well (Newitz,
Annalee). According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Dry Eye is a common ailment
caused by living in city pollution. Dry Eye is a deficiency in tear production that affects nearly four
million Americans, 50 years of age or older, in the United States (ScienceDaily). City lifestyle has also
resulted in a higher prevalence of obesity then in rural environments per capita. This can be attributed to
the overall availableness of food and fast foods as well as the less active lifestyles urban dwellers often
live as opposed to their suburban and rural counterparts. Lactose Intolerance is also extremely common in
urban environments where it is drastically less common the further out from city centers one travels
(Newitz, Annalee).
Modern city life is also responsible for a whole host of mental ailments as well. Overcrowded
environments such as cities are linked to higher rates of stress and violence as well as addiction. One
study conducted assessing the mental health of those who lived in cities as opposed to rural areas found
that metropolitan life definitely creates greater likelihood of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders
(Peen, J). People who live in urban environments are also more stressed and are at a 21% higher risk of
developing a mood disorder and 39% higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder (Newitz, Annalee).
Researchers believe illnesses like schizophrenia may be a result of metropolitan atmosphere at times.
More than 10 studies conducted found that certain cases of schizophrenia where linked directly to urban
settings (Krabbendam, Lydia). Those who live in cities are generally at a higher risk of their body’s
circadian rhythms to be affected by city lifestyle and light pollution. Circadian rhythms (the body's
internal clock) is important for aiding in sleep cycles and thus the production of important hormones like
melatonin which is a key cancer fighting agent. Research which was originally published in Nature
magazine found that many of these mental illnesses were caused because “brains develop slightly
differently in urban areas, predisposing them to stress-related disorders.” The study also found that parts
of the brain like amygdala (which processes emotion) to be more active in people who were presently
living in a metropolis; “In addition, the cingulate cortex, which helps regulate the amygdala and processes
negative emotion, was more active for people who were raised in cities” (Newitz, Annalee).
Despite the recognizable risks it is also important to realize that cities offer many benefits that
are not quite as attainable in rural and some suburban areas. For example, jobs are much more accessible
in urban areas and because of this suicide rates tend to be lower in urban areas then in rural areas (Newitz,
Annalee). People who live in cities in the U.S have better access to medical care (despite the fact that
many minorities in cities do not possess health care). Studies show that urban dwellers have better access
to education and educational services (Newitz, Annalee). For many living in pollution with allergies or
stress is well worth the risks, but why does it have to be worth the risks at all? Through proper city
planning and education correcting our cities problems may not be as difficult as many would believe.
Correcting the environment will help to correct many of the physical and mental complications triggered
by todays cities.
Concept Design 2 – Roger Chanin
This sketch was drawn with many of the modern influences mentioned above.
This model was drawn using pen and ink with water color paint. The concept drawing took an
undeveloped area alongside a river in Northern Kentucky and a city was exhibited inside. The city design
took the goal of being environmentally friendly and also efficient: setting out to correct many of the
health problems that result from today’s cities. The city features limited roads which promote the use of
alternate transportation methods ‘other than cars’. One bridge connects the roads from the North and
South sides of the river while multiple foot bridges connect walkways between the city. The bridges may
take similar designs to those of the Maillart Bridge, Switzerland or the Xian International Horticultural
Expo Matser plan, China (which features an observatory combined into a footpath allowing viewers to
experience a forest like environment while crossing the water). The heavy use of footpaths is done to
create an environment that promotes exercise and relieves the stresses of everyday city life. The cities
simplistic shape is good for navigation and reduces anxiety. The 90 degree like bend in the river makes
every area easy to reach in a short amount of time on foot. Due to the mountainous like geography as seen
in the lower right of the image a ski lift type design transports inhabitants up and down the steep
mountain. Numerous hiking trails and footpaths connect parks laid out in between city blocks again
promoting a culture of exercise and wellbeing as well as a moderate amount of tourism. On the South side
of the river lays the taller buildings which reduce in height and size as you move outward from the cities
center. Buildings take advantage of renewable energy and also utilize roof space and sunlight to create
park like environments. Parking drawn in orange is plentiful but is limited in locations allowing everyone
inside the city to own a vehicle but not necessarily encouraged to use it because of the plentiful
alternatives such as the metro. An extensive public transportation busing service is labeled in purple with
the busing headquarters labeled HQ in the center of the city. Utilizing data on wind patterns of the area;
industry (drawn in light orange) is placed away from the city as industry implies pollution. Agricultural
districts such as farms are placed on the upper left hand side of the city. The city is designed to be
somewhat compact leaving room for the surrounding forests to prosper but also spacious in the sense that
parks and green spaces are drawn in at practically every level and height in the city (Uffelen, Chris).
City Center Concept Drawing-Roger Chanin (Fig. 3)
Since environment has everything to do with who we are and how we feel understanding what
kind of structures promote a healthy environment has everything to with creating a city that will help to
create healthy citizens! It is the goal that such buildings that are residential will create a healthy
atmosphere that connects oneself with who they are and their environment. Scientists agree artificial
design is by no means healthy and through color theory having a society that has lots of natural greens,
browns, and grays makes for lively, powerful, and healthy mind (Psychological Properties). Frank Lloyd
Wright’s Falling Water comes to mind when thinking of a building that combines nature and living space.
Ideally if the concept drawings above would come alive many of the structures would resemble the sort of
innovative design characteristics that Falling Water holds. Completing a city with structures that promote
a sense of connection with the natural world is very achievable and in the city design itself it would not be
hard to picture the many physical and mental benefits of living in a place like this.
Building Concept Drawing – Roger Chanin (Fig. 4)
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