Category Archives: Annotated Bibliographies

“Sprawl Is Good for You”: Annotated Bib 10

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Bruegmann, Robert. “Sprawl Is Good for You.” Politico Magazine. N.p., 8 May 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/sprawl-is-good-for-you-106494_Page2.html#.VyLfnaMrLaY>.

“Sprawl Is Good for You” is an article written by Robert Bruegmann regarding the notion that sprawling cities are problematic and unhealthy.  He objects due to the success of cities like Atlanta and Houston.  He proves that although residents of the Atlanta and Houston areas are more dependent on automobiles, they also have more access to jobs and opportunities due to the set up of the area.  The high density of cities like Chicago result in ultimately a poorer population by the numbers and more health risks in total.  People in Atlanta have on average more money and demand more space per person, which explains the high sprawl rate.  In that case, sprawl is not necessarily a bad thing at all according to Bruegmann.  The author puts together a very factual and well thought out argument by acknowledging concerns and addressing them.  I would recommend this source to someone studying this topic.

 

“Urban Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Deliberative Democracy”: Annotated Bib 9

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Resnik, David B. “Urban Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Deliberative Democracy.” American Journal of Public Health. American Public Health Association, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2936977/>.

David Resnik cautions in this article that increasing urban sprawl in large amounts in the United States can have adverse affects in the long run on the health of the population.  Factors such as pollution from car emissions, water pollution, and deforestation all come in to play when dealing with a large, sprawling city.  Why does this problem seem to be getting out of control?  The fact that cities are growing faster than they are growing smarter according to Resnik.  Before cities are ready to take on large amounts of new residents they should first prepare for them, for what its worth.  Cities usually build and make adjustments and adaptations based on what happens instead of what they anticipate happening and that is problematic according to the text.  Also Resnik stresses that land owners and developers must be more selfless and less money hungry.  Resnik’s article is a well-balanced analysis of what’s happening in America’s cities.

The Impact of Built Environment on Pedestrian Crashes: Annotated Bib 8

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Dai, Dajun, Emily Taquechel, John Steward, and Sheryl Strasser. “The Impact of Built Environment on Pedestrian Crashes and the Identification of Crash Clusters on an Urban University Campus.” Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941370/>.
“The Impact of Built Environment on Pedestrian Crashes” is a scholarly article written by a group that details car crashes as a serious public health concern.  The research used in the article was taken from data of Georgia State University’s campus safety records.  The argument made is that the built environment of college campuses like Georgia State increase risk for students and drivers as they are constantly sharing the same space.  Over 31,000 students navigate the school daily as an estimated 14,000 vehicles cascade the streets claimed by the college.  The study proves that with increasing numbers of pedestrians and vehicles in a limited space, man made environmental factors such as speed bumps and crosswalk signs become even more critical. However, the campus of GSU as other urban research facilities lack an adequate amount of precautionary measures it takes to keep a large amount of people safe on a daily basis. Overall, the research in this article is performed correctly and is very useful.

“The ATL Urbanist Plan”: Annotated Bib 7

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Givens, Dan. “The Anti-Urban Planning Argument for Maintaining Sprawl In Atlanta.” Web blog post. The ATL Urbanist. N.p., 31 May 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. <http://atlurbanist.tumblr.com/post/120390631434/the-anti-urban-planning-argument-for-maintaining>.

This article written on Dan Givens blog is a response to an article written in a newspaper about the growing population of the metropolitan area of Atlanta and what to do about the exponential growth that has been seen recently.  The author of the article in question, Wendell Cox, claims that the urban planners are the “bad guys” and are charging high prices to live in the city as they build more and more housing and making for a denser community.  Dan Givens insists that Cox’s argument is ridiculous because of the simple real estate and economic rules that are ignored in the conclusion.  Givens points out that supply and demand economics would be the obvious culprit for the fluctuation of prices in the city of Atlanta.  As more and more people more to the area, the more housing is demanded, and the more people are willing to pay.  Especially because it is still cheaper no matter what to live in Atlanta than in most of the northern major cities that the great influx of residents are coming from.  Givens puts together a very informative argument and makes good points throughout.

Annotated Bibliography Entry 6: “The Psychology of Interior Design”

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Entry 6
“The Psychology of Interior Design | The Dirt.” N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.http://dirt.asla.org/2012/05/18/the-psychology-of-interior-design/
In this article, of the magazine “The Dirt,” interior design is examined and the affects it can have on humans.  In Hong Kong and other wealthy sectors of China, citizens spend considerable amounts of dollars for their homes to be evaluated.  The interior energy and layout is very important to how they feel about their place of residence.  Part of the reason why the dynamic of interior design is so significant is because of the differences between architects and everyday people.  Architects are trained to see form, light and color, while we only see walls, floors, and doors.  Where the architects’ intellectual approach and our emotional approach meet is where we find the perfect balance.  A living area that correctly balances our wants and needs helps to keep stress at a minimum.  Studies show that varied colors, window views, and dark flooring all are calming interior attributes for humans.
I personally plan to use this in my research when I am evaluating other interior designs for my next built environment description.  I will apply the topics touched on in this article to reason out the purpose for the appearance of the interior built environment.

Annotated Bibliography Entry 5: “Impacts of Our Built Environment on Public”

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Entry #5
Dearry, Allen. “Editorial: Impacts of Our Built Environment on Public Health.” Environmental Health Perspectives 112.11 (2004): A600–A601. Print. Web. 22 Feb. 2016 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247487/
In his editorial, Allen Dearry points out that we spend 90% of our lives indoors, yet we do not know much about our own built environments.  This is partially due to the fact that modern architecture and building techniques change more often than nature does.  And with the changes we make to the way we structure our environment we in turn damage the Earth.  Habitat loss and declining water resources are just some of the self-inflicted environmental problems we face today.  He also explains that we are building more roads to account for more drivers which also equates to more car accidents.  Not to mention the greenhouse gases we emit from our vehicles that in turn hurt the planet and ourselves.  And finally he addresses the most deadly of all the health risks we face due to the higher levels of industry we subject ourselves to: obesity.  The more urban our communities get, the less we walk and ride bikes.  The more we sit in cars, offices, and movie theaters, the less we are exercising.  These are all dangers that stem from a less-natural environment.  Dearry’s writing is very relevant to our current realm of study and very useful as he offers a new, more pessimistic viewpoint on the topic.  Due to the unique angle this editorial takes, I will utilize it in my work to better shed light on all areas of the issue.  By acknowledging several different stances on this topic, I can form a more credible and stable argument.

Annotated Bibliography 4: “How Natural and Built Environments Impact Human Health”

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Khmer, Steve. Children playing on tree. Digital image. Panoramio.com. N.p., 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

 

Wells, Nancy, Dr. “Natural Environments and Human Health.” Outreach and Extension (2014): Human.cornell.edu. Cornell University College of Human Ecology, 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2016. <http://www.human.cornell.edu/outreach/upload/CHE_DEA_NaturalEnvironments.pdf>.

Dr. Nancy Wells’ research led to her conclusion that a natural environment featuring wildlife and plants is beneficial to humans in more ways than one.  Not only did she confirm the findings of the authors of “Recognizing Campuses as Learning Spaces,” but she also went more in-depth into the actual benefits of an open landscape.  Her article states that a natural living space promotes exercise, offers a sense of community, and opens up new forms of recreation to the public.  Her studies also show that citizens who live in such an environment are prone to living longer lives.  In built-environments, where the land is not as pedestrian-friendly, citizens have shown less recreational activity and higher rates of crime.  There is one flaw in her experiment however, as her subjects were not selected randomly.  Wells also tested children for data as well.  Research shows that green environments foster social interaction and offer more social support while children of more built environments undergo more stressful experiences.  I plan to use this article in my research to support my arguments about the built environments affects on humans through the facts she presented.  The statistics and examples will help to make my writing more credible.

Annotated Bibliography 1-3

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Davis, Janel, Scott J. Trubey, and Katie Leslie. “Turner Field Holds Future for Georgia State,    Neighborhoods.” Atlanta Journal Constitution Saturday Dec. 2015: n. pag. MyAJC. Web. Friday Feb. 5.

 

Davis, Trubey’s and Leslie’s article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution details the plans for the land currently occupied by the Atlanta Braves’ home stadium, Turner Field. The Braves’s final season at Turner Field will be in 2017.  The upcoming departure of the pro baseball team prompted bidding by several groups only to be won by Georgia State University.  The AJC writes that Georgia State has already revealed plans for the newly acquired land.  Along with the development of the surrounding communities, the land will be used for a new football stadium for the Georgia State Panthers.  Georgia State is currently fundraising to help fund the 300 million-dollar project.  The authors did a good job of reporting from an objective point of view and staying true to the facts the people of the community need to know.  I chose this article to better my understanding of real estate pertaining to the built environment.

 

Ornstein, Norm. “Why Bernie Sanders Can’t Govern.” Atlantic 2 Feb. 2016: n. pag. The Atlantic.   Web. 5 Feb. 2016.

“Why Bernie Sanders Can’t Govern,” by Norm Ornstein is a magazine article explaining why many Hillary Clinton supporters feel that Clinton is the better candidate for several reasons that usually go unmentioned.  Ornstein details that Bernie Sanders, like Ted Cruz is too extreme and has unrealistic views of the political climate of today’s America.  Not only does Ornstein feel that Sanders is misguided but also at a disadvantage.  According to the author, for Sanders to win he would have to channel an Obama-esque campaign to get the demographic he appeals to most to actually go out and vote.  Next, if elected president, Sanders would be limited in the legislation he would be able to establish due to the stiff Republican congress he would face.  This article is clearly biased and meant to sway voters to see the election from a different perspective.  The author was effective in helping readers see the presidential race from a point of view they most likely haven’t seen it from.

 

Cook, Rebecca. “Michigan Emails Show Officials Knew of Flint Water Disease Risk.” Reuters. N.p., 4 Feb. 2016. Web. 5 Feb. 2016.

 

This piece written by Rebecca Cook tells of what some what call a scandal in the Flint, Michigan government.  Recent emails have surfaced that prove that high-ranking officials in the Michigan state government were aware of the rise in Legionnaires’ disease and its relation to the issues with the water in Flint.  As expected, a spokesman for the governor denied the reports and claimed that Rick Snyder did not have any knowledge of the outbreak until January of this year, days before an official announcement of crisis was made.  The author comes off as credible due to the several different sources utilized to compose the report.  Quotes from both sides of the story are used to round out the article smoothly and fairly.  The only weakness of this writing is the short length of it.  An article with such subject matter should be more detailed.