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According to "Is Design Political?", architects need to take responsibility for their designs. Just like the poorly designed voting ballots described in the article, this can also be applied to the ongoing expansion of urban areas, commonly known as urban sprawl. this phenomena affects our country socially, economically and environmentally.

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As time goes on, more and more people are migrating out of the Twin Cities into the surrounding suburbs. In early 2000, my family moved to Woodbury, a steadily growing suburb just east of the Twin Cities. I have seen my community grow drastically in both population and landmass in the past eight years. By spreading out housing and retail areas, the cost of living has also greatly increased for people within these suburban areas. Everything, from electricity to water treatment, costs more because the products need to be transported over a much larger distance and to many more areas than in an urban environment. Economically, suburban dwellers are wreaking havoc in Woodbury. Because only a small percent of residents actually work in Woodbury, commuters have not only been contributing to the blockade of daily traffic on I-94, but have played a role in the increase of gas-prices over the past century all country. As a greater number of people move to Woodbury and drive farther and farther to work, the demand for gas increases more and more every day. This increased demand for gas logically leads to an increase in its price. Although it seems minimal at first, assuming that other suburbs across the nation have seen a similar increase in population over the last century, the change in the amount of gas consumed by people commuting to work is very significant.

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Not only do the residents of Woodbury affect the community economically, we are contributing to the environmental depletion as well. While a majority of Woodbury commuters drive alone, most are unwilling to use the public transit system offered by the state of Minnesota. In 2002, an estimated 314 million metric tons of carbon dioxide was emitted into the atmosphere by cars and trucks in the United States. With the large number of suburban commuters, it is reasonable to assert that the suburbs have greatly contributed to this number. Another environmental offense caused by the suburban community is the use of fertilizers on their lawns. Strangely enough, the grass in front of your yard is closely regulated in Woodbury. Strict water regulations that limit the time and length that a resident can water their grass leave some Woodburians desperate to measure up to their neighbors. This leads them to use various fertilizers on their grass that can be harmful to the environment. These fertilizers create a run-off of toxic wastes that eventually end up in our lakes and rivers. While the St. Croix River, located at the edge of nearby Afton, appears to be relatively clean, it will overtime accumulate more and more toxins and eventually resemble the murky waters of the Mississippi River, as seen on the University of Minnesota Campus.

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Although this topic may seem contradictory to an architect’s job (planning and overseeing the construction of buildings), we must realize the impact the profession can have on our communities. Urban sprawl is caused by many irresponsible and poorly constructed designs made by many people in many different areas. In the suburbs of the Twin Cities, public transportation is not appealing to most people. This is because of the long bus rides and seemingly unnecessary stops. By designing a more “suburb-friendly� public transit system, suburb dwellers could drastically reduce traffic on I-94, while cutting down on emissions into our atmosphere. Another design issue is the current depleting condition of many homes within the city. This could be a good reason why people are moving to the suburbs. Restoration and revival of these decaying buildings should be a top priority in the design field. Another way for architects to help with this issue is by designing more efficient, high-density living structures, such as condominiums and apartments. This would greatly encourage families to move closer to the city.