My hometown is Waterford, Pennsylvania. This town is located about 15 miles south of Erie, Pennsylvania, which is in the northwest corner of the state. Waterford is a small, country town with only a single streetlight in the center of town. It would be considered a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood for the most part, because of the extensive sidewalks that cover the town. Everyone walks everywhere, and it is normal to do so just for fun. There is no metropolitan area in Waterford, but residents can make a 15 minute commute to Erie, Pennsylvania for a more urban experience with a mall, chain restaurants and stores, and nightlife. Waterford is approximately only 1.2 square miles with a population of just over 1500 people. This is the town I was raised in, where I went to middle and high school, and where I made all of my first memories. I really enjoyed living there, and I believe it gave me a humble attitude towards the world.
The first city from the module that I will discuss is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This city is a brilliant example of a group of people coming into an area and completely growing with the landscape. The city is built directly into the sweeping landscape and adjusted right by the long beach front. My hometown could take a page out of their book, with the expansion of my town would be into deep, thick forested areas. By extension, I could also talk about the neighboring city of Erie. Like Rio de Janeiro, Erie is situated on the coast of a body of water, in this case Lake Erie. Erie could continue to expand its boundaries down the coast line to add more hotels or homes to the city. To become more sustainable, Erie could follow their example and work on making transportation easier, and more accessible. Also, just make walking a more appealing option.
The second city which I will discuss from the module will be Shanghai, China. Again, like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this port city has expanded and thrived by building over the landscape and terrain that once was forested and heavily undeveloped. The expansive city allows for many shipments to be brought into the country, and for a large population, around 23.9 million people, to live within close proximity of the city boundaries. Speaking about Erie again, since Waterford is an extremely hard example to compare Shanghai too, if the city were to want to expand it would best do so in a similar fashion. By building up instead of out, buildings can be closer together, thus eliminating the need for cars and it makes walking more appealing. This eliminates some pollution and makes the city more sustainable.
Hi Josh, I am Laurene; I enjoyed reading you post. I like the connection you made to town. It is great to see how we grow up and move away, but still remember all the little things of the place we grew up in that make us who we are. I have been to Erie, and I think it is fascinating how the town adjusted around the lake and how they handle the weather. You made excellent connections to Rio and Shanghai to show how cities develop around their landscape. Great post! I highlighted Lewisburg, PA in my post, which developed between the Susquehanna River and Rt. 15. It is a moderately larger than your area. You can check it out here: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/16/lewisburg-pa-compared-to-copenhagen-and-detroit/
Hi, My name is Alexis here is a link to my blog post! https://wp.me/p3RCAy-ccJ
I really enjoyed reading about your hometown. Even though my hometown is a bigger I love being able to walk to places especially in the summer time. My town does use automobiles as a source of transportation, however walking is also a big part especially because I live in downtown. I agree particularly with your comparison of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Erie. If Erie could expand I think it could improve not only the town itself but also implement walking as a fundamental part in the lives of the residents living there, similar to your town in Waterford.
Hi, My name is Sarah, and here is a link to my blog post: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/03/16/module-7-urban-planning-3/
I think it’s really cool that you’re town has a lot of sidewalks for walking, and that that’s what most people do for fun. My neighborhood has sidewalks, but my town is only really accessible for cars, and I feel like people get less outdoor exercise because of this. I agree with both of the ideas that you would implement in your city. If Erie expanded and worked on making walking a more appealing option, it would become much more sustainable. I also liked your idea of building up instead of out. This would make it easier for more people to live closer together, making traveling to and from places easier as well. Great post!