The Built Environment and the Systemic Agenda

The built environment in the United States, characterized in large part by suburban sprawl and car-dependent infrastructure, has significant negative impacts on public health, economic mobility, and environmental sustainability. This paper examines the consequences of car-centric development, highlighting its role in exacerbating social and economic inequalities, increasing traffic-related fatalities, and contributing to climate change through excessive carbon emissions. The analysis reveals that a majority of Americans feel forced into car ownership due to inadequate alternative transportation options, leading to financial strain and adverse health outcomes, including obesity and air pollution-related diseases. The historical roots of these development patterns are traced to mid-20th-century policies that prioritized suburban expansion and highway construction, often reinforcing racial and economic segregation. The study underscores the urgency of introducing a restructuring of the North American built environment into the systemic political agenda and advocating for focus on all levels of government on policies to improve the economic, environmental, and medical sustainability of our urban areas.